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CHIEF BRAVE HEART 




QUICKLY HE SIGHTED ALONG THE ARROW 

(Page 65) 


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CHIEF BRAVE HEART 

OF THE 

WOODSIDE TRIBE 

E. Manchester Boddy 


JERRY SANDS SERIES 


BOOK / 


Press of 

Times-Mirror Printing and Binding House 
Los Angeles, California 


1922 




. 

Copyrighted 1922 

by the ' ■ ‘ 

Times-Mirror Printing and Binding House ' ; 

Los Angeles, California • ■ ^ 

AU rights reserved 



SEP 25 'PS 



CONTENTS 


Chapter I 

PAGE 

Jerry Goes West and Meets an Enemy. 11 
Chapter II 

The First Camp in the Woods 35 

Chapter III 

Jim Becomes Chief Great Hunter 57 

Chapter IV 

Indian Dan Appears on the Scene 77 

Chapter V 

Jerry Wins a Desperate Fight and Be- 
comes Chief Brave Heart of the 
Woodside Tribe 102 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Quickly He Sighted Along the 

Arrow Frontispiece 

PAGE 


Eagerly Jerry Drank in Every Word. . . 12 

Thud! Thud! Came Jerry’s Feet 

Against His Back 32 

A Tall Figure, the Like of Which Jerry 
Had Never Seen Before 84 

Sloan Stumbled Heavily and Went 

Headlong into the Grass 122 


Each Taking His Turn at Leading and 
Riding Spot 128 


Chapter I 


JERRY GOES WEST AND MEETS 
AN ENEMY 

It was a hot August morning in a coal- 
mining town of Illinois. Mrs. Sands was 
sitting on the front steps of a rather run- 
down, little house, facing a dirty street 
along which a great many similar places — 
“company houses” they were called — were 
built. 

Jerry Sands sat beside his mother. For 
over two weeks now the two had sat this 
way, at the same time each morning, peer- 
ing anxiously down the hot board sidewalk 
that ran along in front of the house toward 
town. 

“Here he comes, mother,” Jerry would 
say, as each morning the stooped form of the 
mailman appeared in the distance. But 
each morning had come the same disap- 
pointment — no letter from father. 

Over three months before, the elder Sands 
had left for the Far West to take up a home- 



EAGERLY JERRY DRANK IN EVERY WORD 



Jerry Sands Series 


13 


stead, and build a little home for his family. 
He was to send for them when all was ready. 
Jerry had read everything he could find, 
including railroad folders, old geographies, 
anything, in fact, that told him even a little 
of the West. 

And now on this particular morning, to 
the great joy of both Jerry and his mother, 
the mail carrier delivered the precious letter. 
Eagerly Jerry drank in every word as his 
mother read: 

My dear wife and Jerry: 

I could not write sooner as I have 
been far out in the country here look- 
ing over the land that is still open for 
settlement. But it has been well worth 
the time and trouble, as I have located 
on two fine forties on the western slope 
of the Cascade Mountains and have 
almost finished a cabin for us. 

You had better pack up and come at 
once to the Woodside Roads Station, 
where I will meet you. Don’t bring 
anything but your clothes and a few 
kitchen things, as it is hard to get in 
here and we can make nearly every- 


14 


Chief Brave Heart 


thing we need. There is a small lake on 
our land and all the game and fish 
Jerry’s heart can desire. There are 
a few farmers scattered through the 
hills here already and they say most of 
them are very good people, although 
there is one family near us that doesn’t 
seem to want us to come in; as I under- 
stand they were figuring on taking up 
this place themselves. 

I am very lonesome for you both and 
will count the days until you come. I 
figure if you leave two days after this 
letter reaches there, you will be here on 
the first of September. You had better 
draw the money out of the Savings 
Bank, and after you buy your tickets, 
let Jerry carry part of what’s left in case 
something happens, as this is all we 
have left now. 

Your loving husband and father, 
BEN SANDS. 

Another slip of paper was enclosed with 
the letter, this one giving complete details 
of stations where Jerry and his mother 


Jerry Sands Series 


15 


would change trains, and points of interest 
along the journey. 

And so it was that Jerry started for the 
Woodside country. It was a delightful 
journey through the great, wide wheat and 
corn fields of the Middle West, on into the 
smaller, rugged, little farms of the newer 
settlements, and up into the towering Rocky 
Mountains of which Jerry had heard so 
much. It was, perhaps, the greatest event 
in his life. He took particular delight in 
sitting with his mother in the dining car 
for their morning meal, especially as the 
train struggled past the snow-capped peaks 
of the Rockies. 

But as the days passed Jerry became 
more and more anxious about Woodside 
Roads. ‘‘Do you suppose there are any 
mountains like these in Woodside, mother ?” 
he would ask as they passed some particu- 
larly majestic peak — or “Did dad say there 
was fishing in our lake.^” — question after 
question, directed as much to his own wan- 
dering imagination as to his mother, came 
from Jerry, prompted largely by the par- 
ticular scenery they were passing. 


16 


Chief Brave Heart 


According to their schedule, they were 
due to arrive at Woodside Station early 
Friday morning. On Thursday night Jerry 
had gone to sleep reading and re-reading his 
father’s letter and dreaming of his future 
home in the woods. The next morning, 
before the rest of his fellow-passengers were 
up, Jerry was fully dressed and peering out 
between the cars, longing for daylight to 
help him see the great country he was soon 
to become a part of. How large were the 
trees ? Would there be a little town there 
with lots of people ? Fie hoped not. Could 
he see their cabin from the station ? All 
these and many more thoughts and ques- 
tions raced through his mind as he peered 
into the darkness. The train seemed to be 
traveling faster than it had for days, for it 
was now going down grade, and Jerry was 
beginning to worry for fear they would leave 
the mountains entirely. But the train was 
taking long spiral turns down one particu- 
larly large hump, and while they were trav- 
eling at a fast rate, it seemed even faster 
compared with the slow up-grade speed of 
the past few days. 


Jerry Sands Series 


17 


Jerry could just discern the first hint of 
pale light and was about to see if his mother 
was awake, when he saw her coming down 
the aisle, completely dressed, and followed 
by the porter carrying their bags. 

‘‘Good morning, Jerry boy,” greeted his 
mother. “The porter says we will be there 
in five minutes now. See — the train is slow- 
ing down already.” 

True enough. The train was actually 
slowing down in fits and jerks, and Jerry 
could hear the steam gushing from the 
engine and then the loud whistle reverber- 
ating through the mountains, seeming to 
arouse even the trees that were gradually 
becoming visible. 

Then with a grinding and final jerk, the 
train came to a standstill. To Jerry’s great 
delight, there were no houses of any kind in 
sight, and from what he could see they were 
still in the mountains. 

“Here we are, Molly. Hello there, Jerry. 
Well! Well! Here at last,” came the deep 
strong voice of Mr. Sands, as he folded both 
his wife and boy in his great arms. Ten- 
derly he held them, saying a lot of things 


18 


Chief Brave Heart 


none could understand as the long train, 
released from its brakes, slipped noisily oif 
down the mountain as if hurrying away 
from the great red sun now breasting the 
crest of the eastern ridges. 

‘Well,” he said at length, “we’d better 
find some breakfast. We’ve got a long ride 
before us and we must get started before the 
sun gets too high. Come, Jerry, carry one 
of mother’s bags and we’ll see what we can 
find in the hotel.” 

The little party was all alone on the grav- 
eled siding and now that the train had gone 
far down into the valley below, there were 
no further sounds to break the deep stillness 
of the early morning. 

Woodside Roads was not quite so unten- 
anted as Jerry had supposed, for his father 
soon led the way to a little cluster of houses, 
one of which served as the depot, standing 
between what appeared to be a sort of gen- 
eral merchandise store on one side and a 
drug store and post office combined on the 
other. Nearby was a low frame building, 
painted a dull red like the station, which 
Jerry surmised, and rightly, too, was a sort 
of railroad company hotel where the train 


Jerry Sands Series 


19 


crews, or any guests or natives of the coun- 
try, could stop. There was also a livery 
stable, and a few small dwellings were 
scattered about. But the only signs of life 
came from the little red hotel where an oil 
lamp still burned and where several rail- 
road men could be seen washing their hands 
and faces from a long wooden basin. 

As the Sands family entered the room, 
an elderly lady who was apparently prepar- 
ing breakfast came forward to greet them. 

“So your family has come at last, Mr. 
Sands ? Fm so glad for you. And they 
seem to be just as happy as you,’’ she 
added, as Mr. Sands introduced his wife 
and Jerry. “Now just come right in and 
have your breakfast. I know how far you 
must travel today, and it’s going to be a 
hard trip on you, Mrs. Sands, the roads are 
so terrible.” 

Now Jerry was a sturdy lad, rather large 
for his thirteen years. His father had taught 
him many things a boy should know — par- 
ticularly good manners, respect and cour- 
tesy for his mother, sportsmanship and 
manly conduct towards his boy friends, and 
above all, the ability to take care of himself. 


20 


Chief Brave Heart 


During his father’s absence in the West 
he had been the ‘‘man of the house” and 
had taken a keen delight in the responsibil- 
ities — some of them imaginary, of course — 
that his father’s absence had meant. 

Somehow, Jerry felt that from now on his 
responsibilities were going to be increased 
and real. He looked anxiously toward his 
mother to see how the news of the day’s 
trip affected her. But Mrs. Sands was not 
a mother to be easily discouraged. In fact, 
she almost seemed to enjoy the prospect of 
the journey. She had always been strong 
and healthy and Jerry had many times 
heard her say how happy she would be to 
live on a homestead in the West, where she 
could help build up a home. Nevertheless, 
Jerry felt that he would be much happier 
when his mother was safely at the end of the 
journey, for the mountains and woods that 
seemed so friendly and grand to him must 
have many difficulties for women folks. 

Breakfast was served just as Jerry’s imag- 
ination had led him to expect. The table 
was long and made of coarse board. It was 
covered with a checkered red and white 
table-cloth, in the center of which a large oil 


Jerry Sands Series 


21 


lamp was still burning. Jerry was impressed 
with the friendliness and hearty good humor 
of the railroad men who sat down to the 
table with them. The breakfast was an 
ample one — ^well browned bacon with eggs, 
hot, fluffy biscuits, honey and coffee. 

“Such lovely honey,” Mrs. Sands re- 
marked, “and such an odd flavor.” 

“Yes,” the old lady answered, “one of 
the men discovered a large bee-tree the 
other day while out hunting for Old Burnt- 
sides. It’s the first honey we’ve had this 
summer.” 

Jerry waited for his chance, and then in 
an undertone for fear some of the men might 
be amused at his question, he asked his 
father who Old Burntsides was. 

“You’ll find out soon enough, Jerry,” 
his father replied. “Old Burntsides has 
eaten many a poor settler’s chickens. He’s 
the biggest black bear ever seen in these 
parts. Old Indian Dan says he lives up 
near our claims, but so far he has not put 
in an appearance.” 

“But why do they call him Burntsides?” 
pursued Jerry. 

“Oh — that’s because he has great brown 


22 


Chief Brave Heart 


patches of fur on both sides. Some people 
think he was burned in the forest fires last 
year, but Indian Dan said that wouldn’t 
show this year. He thinks — and he seems 
to know everything about wild things in the 
woods — that Old Burntsides is really not a 
black bear at all, but is a grizzly that has 
come into the timber from the higher moun- 
tains. I’ve been hoping that we would be 
prepared to get him ourselves if he came 
our way, but I guess we won’t be able to 
this year.” 

It seemed to Jerry that his father was a 
little disappointed in something. He won- 
dered what it was and all through the break- 
fast he kept thinking of Old Burntsides and 
his father’s remark about not being prepared 
to go after him this year. But there were so 
many new subjects of interest being dis- 
cussed that Jerry did not question his father 
further. 

The breakfast finished, Jerry and his 
father left for the little barn that served as 
a livery stable and where Jerry was to find 
what would prove to be two of his best 
friends, a pair of faithful, long-eared mules. 
Jerry had already heard about them but 


Jerry Sands Series 


23 


was thoroughly delighted when his father 
pointed out the two rather small but well- 
built animals that were standing fully 
harnessed eating from a manger. 

‘‘This is Buck,” his father said as he called 
to the mule which bore the name. “You 
must always speak to mules before you get 
close to their heels, Jerry. Now old Buck 
here is a very friendly, lovable fellow, but 
if we walked quietly up and surprised him 
at a nap, he might kick without knowing 
who was near him. We call his partner 
here Reddy because of his color. He’s good- 
natured and you’ll learn to like him, too.” 

Jerry wanted to pitch right in and help 
with the hitching up, but his father advised 
him to go back to the hotel and see if he 
could find a place to change his clothes, for 
Jerry was still dressed in his best, which he 
would no longer need. He was, in fact, 
quite anxious to get into his old shirt and 
overalls, and to wear the new broad 
brimmed hat his mother had bought for him. 

Hurry as they did, it was nearly nine 
o’clock before the little party was under 
way. Jerry observed that his mother made 
quite a warm friend of the old lady at the 


24 


Chief Brave Heart 


hotel, whom she called Mrs. Downs. He 
heard her saying that if his mother ever 
needed help or anything, she should come 
right to her, as neighbors were rather scarce 
at the homestead. 

Buck and Reddy were given a final drink 
of water from the large trough — evidently 
made by hollowing out a log — and the party 
was off. The wagon was a light, springy 
affair, with a rather high front seat, just 
wide enough to seat Mr. and Mrs. Sands 
comfortably. The wagon itself was partly 
covered with semi-circular strips, evidently 
long hazel bushes bent into shape. Over 
these was stretched a brown canvas, durable 
enough to withstand rain and wind. Jerry 
sat under this cover where he could watch 
the sacks of sugar, beans, potatoes, bacon, 
coffee, tinware, valises and bags. 

Carefully Jerry looked over the entire lot. 
He pried open the long boxes, looked into 
the burlap sacks and under the front seat, 
but always without success. 

‘‘Father,” he finally asked, “haven’t we 
got a gun at all 

His father at once caught the anxiety in 
Jerry’s expression. It was hard to give 


Jerry Sands Series 


25 


him the answer, but he decided it would be 
better to explain it right away. 

‘‘No, Jerry, my boy, we can’t afford to 
spend money for guns yet. We have scarce- 
ly had enough money to buy our mules and 
provisions, and it will be nearly a year before 
we can sell any crops from the homestead. 
We must clear land and do lots of improve- 
ment work before the ground will be ready. 
You will have to get along the best you can 
this year. Maybe next year it will be dif- 
ferent.” 

Poor Jerry was nearly heart-broken. All 
his dreams of adventures and life in the 
woods had been built around a gun, steel 
traps and modern fishing tackle. For a 
moment it seemed as though the very woods 
were mocking him. He could not imagine a 
woodsman without a gun! But Jerry was 
to learn a lot within the next few days! 

With one turn of the road, the little 
cluster of houses disappeared entirely from 
view and the mules trotted resolutely ahead 
into the dark forest of fir and hemlock. The 
road had only recently been cut through 
and it was still covered with a deep carpet 
of moss, old branches and badly trampled 


26 


Chief Brave Heart 


salal berry bushes. Now and then Buck 
and Reddy would shake their long ears in 
protest as they stuck their fore legs into a 
cluster of prickly oregon-grape vines that 
were still standing in the center of the road. 

So far as Jerry could see the road led in 
and out between the trees, first down one 
miniature valley and then along another, 
occasionally leading to rather steep places 
where Jerry had to get out and place a log 
or stone under the wheels to keep the wagon 
from pulling too strongly against the faith- 
ful mules as they were brought to a rest by 
Jerry’s father. 

As they traveled along, Mr. Sands told 
his wife and Jerry more about their new 
home. 

“It’s nearly twenty miles from the rail- 
road where we had breakfast,” he told them. 
“Our place seems to have very rich soil and 
plenty of good water. The summers are 
fine and the winters, too, are good, but of 
course there will be snow and ice.” 

“Are there any boys near our place put 
in Jerry. 

“Oh, yes,” his father answered, “but they 
are not real close. There is one family 


Jerry Sands Series 


27 


about a quarter of a mile from us — the 
Norman family. They have two fine lads 
about your age, and then there are the Stuart 
boys, one your age and two small young- 
sters. You will meet some other boys out 
there, too — ^Tom Sloan’s boys. They’re a 
bad lot. I understand his boy has a cousin 
living with him now. I have only seen 
them once, but I don’t think they are the 
kind I want you to associate with. I believe 
they are quite a little older than you any- 
how.” 

He continued to talk of the new home, 
answering questions and discussing plans 
for the future. He never referred to the gun 
or traps again, and Jerry was beginning to 
find more interest in the signs of wild life 
about him than in his parents’ discussion, 
especially since the subject was now turn- 
ing toward a proposed plan for a country 
schoolhouse. 

Like most any thirteen year old boy, 
Jerry was wondering how he would get 
along when he met the Sloan fellows. His 
father had said they were a bad lot, and he 
had never known his father to make a mis- 
take of this kind. There was one thing cer- 


28 


Chief Brave Heart 


tain. Jerry was not afraid. He had fought 
his way through a “gang’’ of toughs when 
he first went to the coal mining town and he 
had learned a lot of valuable lessons that 
would come in handy if the Sloan boys gave 
him occasion to come into unfriendly con- 
tact with them. 

It was now nearing twelve o’clock, and 
the family decided to make a noonday camp 
by the side of a stream they had been fol- 
lowing for some time. Jerry helped his 
father unhitch Buck and Reddy, feed them 
and stake them out near the stream so they 
could drink. Mrs. Sands busied herself 
with a large coffee pot, tins of meat, etc., 
while Mr. Sands built a fire. 

Jerry took this occasion to explore a little 
of the stream. It was scarcely a dozen feet 
wide, about two feet deep and clear as crys- 
tal. Jerry thought he saw fish dart out from 
the shady side of the water and into the 
cover of ripples and dark holes as he went 
along, but he could not be sure. So intent 
was he on making certain about the fish 
that he wandered further along the stream 
than he realized. Without taking his eye 
from the water he rushed headlong into a 


Jerry Sands Series 


29 


small pile of dead branches and roots, crash- 
ing through them and into the water below, 
which was really part of the creek that 
made a sharp turn at this point before 
widening out into a clearing. 

“That’s right, you clumsy mule, scare all 
the fish away,” came an angry voice from 
the edge of the clearing. “Who said you 
could run loose in the woods, anyhow 

Jerry was completely bewildered and 
dumbfounded as he gathered himself up 
through the broken roots and branches. He 
hardly knew what to say or do. He looked 
about quickly and soon discovered two boys, 
rather older than himself, seated on a log 
fishing. Instantly it flashed through his 
mind that these were the Sloan boys. A 
second later he was certain, as the talkative 
one said to the other, “We ought to give 
him a real ducking for blundering around 
this way. We’ll teach him that this is the 
Sloan’s Ashing territory, for today anyhow.” 

“I am very sorry,” stammered Jerry, still 
confused and getting red in the face. “I 
didn’t mean to fall in the stream, and I’m 
not Ashing here.” 

“Haw, haw, haw!” sneered the eldest of 


30 


Chief Brave Heart 


the t'W'O boys; ‘‘suppose you think we’re 
going to believe that? Think my cousin’s 
right. I’d ought to duck you good.” 

He made a threatening move as if to 
start for Jerry. Perhaps he thought Jerry 
would take to his heels, but if he thought 
so he was wrong. Jerry was naturally a 
good-natured young man and did not hunt 
trouble. But he hated bullies and was never 
afraid of them. Quickly he glanced about 
for an open space where he would be clear 
of the brush and water. The Sloan boy, 
whom his cousin addressed as Albert, saw 
what was going on in Jerry’s mind and 
advanced quickly toward him, so that he 
could attack before Jerry was entirely clear 
of the water and brush. Jerry saw that it 
was useless to attempt to clear himself. He 
looked anxiously about for some means of 
defense. He could call for his father, but 
pride kept him from doing this. He could 
ask Albert Sloan and his cousin to let 
him come out and light fairly but something 
told him they were not the kind who fought 
fairly. Jerry was still standing in about 
two feet of water, several feet from the 
cleared bank on which Albert was running 


Jerry Sands Series 


31 


toward him. Directly back of Jerry and 
about two feet from where he was standing 
the water surged into a deep hole where it 
whirled about in angry circles. It was plain 
that Jerry’s enemy intended to push him 
into this hole. But Jerry was not afraid. 
Quick as a flash he had made his plan. A 
large old hemlock shaded the water hole. 
It was the rotten wet roots from this tree, 
in fact, that had caused Jerry’s trouble in 
the first place. Now, Jerry planned to make 
it help him out of it. One large branch 
hung directly over his head. He measured 
the distance with his eyes and found he 
could easily reach it. Calmly he waited for 
the bully who came on with quick strides 
to take advantage of his position and 
push him in the deep water hole. With 
much bad language and a ferocious look, 
Albert Sloan rushed. But just as quickly, 
Jerry made two steps toward him and then 
to the utter amazement of Sloan and his 
cousin, turned his back! 

‘‘He’s going to make a dive!” yelled 
Sloan’s cousin in glee. 

“But I’m going to give him a good start,” 
growled Albert, who, misled into thinking 



thud! thud! came jerry’s feet against his back 


Jerry Sands Series 


33 


Jerry really intended to spring into the hole 
in terror, wanted to make an impression on 
his cousin and get credit for throwing Jerry 
in. Consequently he lunged with much less 
caution than he would otherwise have used. 
But Jerry was far too nimble for the clumsy 
Albert. Quickly he grasped the limb above 
him and swung out over the hole. With a 
rush Albert swept under him and all but 
pitched headlong into the water. He had 
hardly straightened himself up when thud! 
thud! came Jerry’s feet against his back. 
Such force did Jerry use that he sent his 
heavier opponent crashing through the old 
roots, headlong into the water hole. An- 
other swing and Jerry was clear of the roots 
himself and well into the timber. 

‘‘Help! Help! I’m drowning. George! 
George!” Albert called to his cousin, who, 
ignoring Jerry, rushed to Albert’s rescue. 
Jerry remained under cover of the woods 
long enough to see George pull his cousin 
Albert from the water hole, but not until 
George himself had fallen through the rotten 
roots and branches for a thorough ducking. 
Both boys came up, faces and hands badly 
scratched and bleeding, and, of course, with 


34 


Chief Brave Heart 


their clothes wringing wet. Sheepishly they 
looked about to see if Jerry was still there. 

‘‘I’m here, all right,” he called. “I’m 
Jerry Sands and I would keep you two bul- 
lies in the water all day, only I must be 
going. But I’ll see you fellows again!” 
Threats and more bad language came from 
the cousins, who were heartily disgusted 
over their defeat. But Jerry, completely 
satisfied with his first adventure, slipped 
quietly back through the trees and joined 
his folks who were just about to call him for 
the noonday meal. 


Chapter II 

THE FIRST CAMP IN THE WOODS 

The little party hurried through the noon 
meal. Distant thunder and darkening skies 
caused anxious looks from Mr. Sands. Jerry 
related his experience up the stream in high 
glee, but his parents were very much con- 
cerned. Only the approaching storm pre- 
vented Mr. Sands from going up the stream 
himself to settle with young Sloan and his 
cousin George. As it was, all haste was 
made to get under way before the approach- 
ing storm broke. 

“There’s a very bad place in the road 
about five miles up,” Mr. Sands explained. 
“I have never seen it during a thunder 
storm, but Norman told me it frequently 
fioods and makes the roads impassable for 
days. He and his two boys left the railroad 
with provisions about one hour before us 
this morning. Norman told me he feared a 
thunder storm following the hot spell of the 
last few days.” 


36 


Chief Brave Heart 


Within an hour the storm broke. Great 
smashing peals of thunder followed each 
vivid flash of lightning. Rain fell in tor- 
rents. Jerry huddled under the shelter of 
the canvas which had now been stretched 
up over the seat bows also, to protect the 
entire party. Buck and Reddy did not 
falter. With ears cocked forward, alertness 
in every flbre, they strained ahead through 
the fast accumulating mud. 

Presently Reddy threw up his head and 
stopped short. 

‘‘Hello! Must be something ahead. 
Come on, Reddy — out of this,” Mr. Sands 
gave a vigorous jerk on Reddy’s line. The 
mule responded promptly, but seemed very 
reluctant to keep on. The rain kept pour- 
ing down in great sheets and it almost 
seemed as though the party would have to 
drive off the road under some nearby hem- 
locks for protection. Jerry and his father 
agreed, however, that it would be better to 
get over the hill they were on before making 
a stop. As they neared the top, old Buck 
began to share Reddy’s uneasiness. And 
no wonder! Soon the little gully below came 


Jerry Sands Series 


37 


into sight. Directly across the road, and 
flooding it on either side, a huge brown tor- 
rent of water was raging. Sticks, old logs, 
little piles of ferns and green branches raced 
by at an alarming rate. Buck and Reddy 
refused to go farther. 

‘‘This is bad,” was all Jerry heard from 
his father. Together they jumped to the 
ground and followed the curve in the road 
which had been cut around the side of the 
gully in a sort of V-shaped angle. 

As they rounded this curve, who should 
they And, much to their surprise, but Mr. 
Norman and his two boys, who had drawn 
their horses and wagon off the road on to a 
little shelving of level ground. 

“We just rounded this curve when the 
first rush of water came,” Norman explained 
to Mr. Sands after they had greeted each 
other and expressed much pleasure at meet- 
ing. 

Jerry was particularly pleased to meet the 
two Norman boys, Jim and Dick. Jim, 
the older, was a quiet sort of lad, stockily 
built and about the same size as Jerry. His 
brother Dick, although younger was taller. 


38 


Chief Brave Heart 


He was wiry and slender and seemed to be 
always moving about as though anxious to 
be doing something. 

“Well,” Mr. Sands was saying, “there’s 
no use trying to make the stream today. I 
don’t think the storm will let up before 
nightfall. We’d better camp right here.” 
Norman was of the same opinion and to- 
gether they went to talk it over with Mrs. 
Sands, leaving the boys huddled together 
under the canvas of Norman’s wagon. No 
one stirred for nearly an hour. The storm 
increased in severity. Darkness was only a 
few hours off and the older folks began to be 
uneasy about approaching night. The 
wagon beds were not large and what space 
there was seemed well filled with provisions, 
bags and grain. The canvas covers could 
not be spared as much of these goods would 
be ruined if they should get wet. 

About four o’clock, however, the heavy 
peals of thunder ceased and the rain settled 
into a steady drizzle. 

“Come, boys,” called Mr. Sands, who 
seemed to have taken the leadership, 
“now’s our chance to make camp before 
night falls. Jerry, you unhitch the mules 


Jerry Sands Series 


39 


and lead them after me; Mr. Norman and I 
will see what we can find for a camp site.” 

Jerry set to work with a will and had the 
two mules unhitched and was taking the 
harness from their steaming backs, when 
his two companions passed him, each lead- 
ing a horse. 

A camp site was laid out about a hundred 
yards back and to one side of the road. 
Here the hemlocks and cedars grew thickly 
and Jerry soon found that in many places 
beneath their spreading branches the water 
had hardly penetrated at all. 

‘‘Tie each of the animals very securely,” 
cautioned Mr. Sands. “When the banshees 
cry tonight, they will be badly frightened. 
When you are finished, come over here and 
I will show you how to make camp for the 
night.” 

The boys did as they were told and pres- 
ently were ready for Mr. Sand’s instruc- 
tions. First, they selected a large hemlock 
tree. The first branches were nearly ten 
feet from the ground and hung like great 
umbrellas over the men and boys. More 
branches were cut and placed one over the 
other about the foot of the tree. Side 


40 


Chief Brave Heart 


branches were erected and before long a very 
comfortable shelter was formed. Many of 
the huge roots of the hemlock grew out of 
the ground for several feet and formed ex- 
cellent seats. Soon the boys were set to 
work stripping the bark from a large fir 
snag that had evidently been struck by 
lightning years before. The bark was placed 
near the camp, ready for the evening fire. 
Mr. Norman and the boys then helped carry 
enough of the provisions and things from 
the Sands’ wagon to Normans’ to allow for 
a comfortable bed for Mr. and Mrs. Sands 
under the cover of their wagon. 

Before long the aroma of frying bacon and 
boiling coffee drifted out from beneath the 
hemlock. The wet, tired party sat around 
the heap of glowing bark, much cheered by 
its warmth and the prospects of supper. 
Mrs. Sands was the most cheerful member 
of the party, and every one agreed they were 
fortunate to have such a splendid cook with 
them. 

After supper, Jerry told Jim and Dick 
about his experiences with Albert Sloan and 
his cousin George. 

‘‘Yes,” Jim said, “my brother and I have 


Jerry Sands Series 


41 


had a lot of trouble with them. They are 
always shooting song birds and catching 
muskrats in the summer time. We asked 
them not to and so did father, but they are 
very mean about it. One of their cousins 
shot into a whole flock of robins last week 
and killed nine of them. The robins are 
flying in flocks now, you know, before they 
go south for the winter. 

“When I asked Albert Sloan not to trap 
muskrats in the summer when their fur is 
shedding, he just looked mean and said it 
was none of my business because I never 
trapped them even in the winter time.” 

“But I thought everyone trapped here 
in the winter time,” put in Jerry. 

“No, not when you haven’t any traps or 
guns or anything. But that’s no reason 
why they should spoil the trapping and kill 
the animals out of season,” Jim replied. 

Then Jerry understood. None of them 
had the precious guns and traps of which 
Jerry had dreamed. Without further words, 
he placed another armful of bark on the Are 
and for several moments seemed deep in 
thought. 

“Fellows,” he said at length, “I’ve got 


42 


Chief Brave Heart 


an idea.” He got up quickly and walked 
around the fire several times before talking 
further. Dick could hardly wait to hear 
what Jerry had to say. Jim was equally 
anxious and was all attention when Jerry 
again took his seat and commenced. 

‘‘There’s only one way for us to do any 
hunting and trapping this fall, and that’s to 
learn the Indian ways. I heard dad say 
something about an old Indian Dan today. 
Maybe he can help us and — ” 

“Fine!” exclaimed Jim and Dick together. 
“I tell you what we can do — ^we can — ” 

“But wait a minute,” Jerry continued. 
“We must remember that it will all be new 
to us and that we will have to learn little by 
little. Do you know Indian Dan ?” 

“No,” confessed Jim. “We’ve both seen 
him, of course, but he doesn’t have much 
to do with the settlers. Last Fourth of 
July, Dan and a lot of Indians came to 
Woodside Roads from the reservation. 
They were going to have a big dance, but 
they got angry or something and left. But 
I spent nearly a day with them, and had a 
fine time learning to talk and make gestures 
and signs like they do. I think old Dan 


Jerry Sands Series 43 

liked me. I never knew why they left so 
soon.” 

“I know what they were angry at,” ex- 
claimed Dick. “Somebody offered one of 
the Indian boys a quarter to dance in the 
hotel for a party. Old Dan saw the man 
offer the quarter and he stopped it.” 

“What did Old Dan do?” asked Jerry. 

“Oh, he pulled out a silver dollar and said, 
White man come dance my camp,’ then 
threw back his head, stalked out and said a 
few words in Siwash. Soon the whole camp 
was deserted.” 

“I guess we’d better be mighty careful 
about Indian Dan, then,” Jerry observed. 
“How far is it to where he lives ?” 

“It’s almost thirty miles to the edge of the 
reservation. But every fall the Indians 
come near our place and spear salmon. We 
will have to see them then,” Dick replied. 

“Come, boys, make sure the animals are 
well secured. It’s bedtime,” broke in Mr. 
Sands. 

Jerry hastened to see if Buck and Reddy 
were properly tied. He found them com- 
fortable, standing close together under a 
nearby cedar tree. Jim and Dick found 


44 


Chief Brave Heart 


their animals to be all right, and soon the 
party was ready for the night. Mr. and 
Mrs. Sands went to their wagon while Mr. 
Norman and the boys curled up on the hem- 
lock boughs, feet toward the fire. Fortu- 
nately the night was not cold. The smol- 
dering bark threw a warm glow about the 
little hemlock enclosure, which together 
with the old blanket lap robes, kept the 
party comfortable. 

The moon was up but not a ray of light 
penetrated the forest. Jerry lay on one 
edge of the bed of boughs, Mr. Norman at 
the other, with Jim and Dick in between. 

At first, not a sound could be heard above 
the faint swirl of the swollen stream. Jerry 
tried to sleep. 

“Whooo — whooo — whooo — ” something 
was calling far out in the woods. Jerry won- 
dered what it was. 

“Whooo — whooo — whooo — ” something 
answered from the very tree above him. 

Jerry recognized it now. It was an owl, 
but somehow it sounded so queer in the 
stillness of the night! Visions of Old Burnt- 
sides, Indian Dan, Albert Sloan and his 
cousin raced through Jerry’s drowsy head. 


Jerry Sands Series 


45 


No sooner would he force them from his 
thoughts than a sharp snapping of twigs 
would bring him bolt upright. Then he 
would remember the horses and mules and 
thank goodness it was too dark for his com- 
panions to see him. A light breeze had come 
up and soon the rustling of the great 
branches overhead drowned out other night 
noises and Jerry slept. 

‘‘Jerry! Jerry! Get up quick! Listen!’’ 
Dick was poking Jerry in the ribs. 

“Quiet, boys — ^we must see to the ani- 
mals,” Mr. Norman cautioned. Jerry 
jumped up completely bewildered. For a 
moment he had no idea where he was, or 
what the sudden commotion was about. 

“What’s all the — ” His question was cut 
short by a piercing scream which seemed to 
make the very boughs of their shelter trem- 
ble. Hardly had it died down when another 
scream even more blood curdling than the 
first came from the other side of the stream. 
Jerry was frightened. So were the Norman 
boys. 

“Mountain lions,” explained Mr. Nor- 
man. “They smell the fresh meat in our 
wagons and have been following us.” 


46 


Chief Brave Heart 


Suddenly the horses and mules joined in 
the general commotion. Snorting and 
squealing with fright, the horses tugged 
madly on their halters. Buck and Reddy 
were badly excited, but were not so frantic. 

Mr. Norman and the three boys hastened 
to the animals. First they came to Buck 
and Reddy. Their halters were tight and 
Mr. Norman' rushed on to quiet his two 
horses. A terrifying scream, nearer than 
the last, came just as he reached for the 
halters! 

One frightened lunge and Spot, the horse 
farthest from Mr. Norman, freed himself 
from the tree and made off into the night! 
Pursuit was hopeless as all was black as ink 
and the underbrush heavy. It was all the 
man and boys could do to keep the three 
remaining animals from following Spot. 

Soon a vivid blaze of light came from the 
road. Mr. Sands had made a fire and was 
calling to Mr. Norman to do likewise. A few 
armfuls of bark and branches and their fire 
blazed brightly. True to Mr. Sands’ pre- 
diction, the screams became fainter and 
fainter as the lions retreated further from 
the bright blaze of the fires. 


Jerry Sands Series 


47 


Mr. and Mrs. Sands soon joined the rest, 
and together they discussed the loss of Spot. 
Spot was a cayuse and was not yet broken 
to consider the Norman homestead as home. 
Mr. Sands knew how serious the situation 
was. A homesteader must have a team of 
horses. Mr. Norman had struggled hard to 
save money enough to buy his team, and to 
lose Spot now would be a hardship indeed. 

‘Where do you think he will go.^” asked 
Jerry. 

“It’s hard to say,” answered Mr. Norman. 
“I bought him from the Indian agent at the 
reservation thirty miles or more from here. 
He may go there. He certainly won’t come 
back to this camp and he isn’t likely to come 
to the homestead as he hasn’t been with us 
long enough to forget his former home on 
the Indian reservation.” 

“There is only one thing to do. Someone 
must try and trail him in the morning,” 
concluded Mr. Sands. “There is plenty for 
him to eat right around here and I don’t 
think he will go far after his first mad rush.” 

Jerry looked at his two companions and 
cautioned silence. 

“Here’s our chance,” he whispered. “Let’s 


48 


Chief Brave Heart 


get them to let us hunt Spot. We can try 
our hands at being Indians right away.” 

Jim and Dick nodded eager assent. 

“You’d better ask your father,” Dick pro- 
posed. “He doesn’t think Spot has gone 
far. Father looks worried. He thinks Spot 
will go back to the reservation. He never 
would allow us to go that far for him.” 

Jerry needed no urging. Calling his 
father to one side, he came to the point at 
once. 

“Father, why can’t Jim, Dick and I hunt 
for Spot in the morning? They know the 
way home along the road and you don’t 
need us on the trip.” 

“But you might get hopelessly lost,” his 
father objected. 

“We couldn’t,” Jerry replied. “I heard 
you say all the streams along this slope 
cross the road. Well, we can’t miss finding 
a stream, because they are always in the 
bottoms of the gullies and the gullies are 
easy to find.” 

“But what would you do when you did 
find a stream ?” 

“Follow right up stream till we came to 
the road,” Jerry replied promptly. 


Jerry Sands Series 


49 


Mr. Sands turned to his friend. 

“Norman, I think my boy is right. Spot 
must be close about here. You hitch your 
wagon behind ours and we will get an early 
start home in the morning. Leave the boys 
here to bring in Spot. It’s mostly down 
grade from here to our place, anyway.” 

This proposal was followed by a long dis- 
cussion. Mr. Norman, and often Mrs. 
Sands, would raise some objection that 
seemed to settle it. Jerry or his compan- 
ions would then urge their point further 
until it was finally decided that the boys 
should remain and search for Spot. 

Jerry found, upon inquiring the time, that 
all had slept longer than he had realized, 
and that it was well past three in the morn- 
ing. 

After the excitement of the night, no one 
thought of further sleep. More wood was 
piled on the fires and after a while the boys 
found themselves alone in the hemlock 
shelter, the older folks having gone to the 
fire by the wagons. 

“I hope Spot does decide to go back to 
the reservation,” confided Jerry as soon as 
they were alone. 


50 


Chief Brave Heart 


“So do I,” Jim and Dick both agreed. 
“Only,” added Jim, “we’d better tell the 
folks not to worry if we don’t get back for a 
day or so. You know, they really think we 
can get Spot sometime this morning; at 
least, your folks do, Jerry.” 

“Oh, Jerry can take care of that all right,” 
Dick said. “What are we going to take 
with us ? I’d feel a lot safer if we had a gun. 
Whee! But didn’t that mountain lion 
scream last night!” Dick was excitedly 
walking around in circles anxiously watch- 
ing for daylight to break. 

“Have you fellows got pocket knives?” 
asked Jerry, pulling out his own, which 
proved to be a splendid single bladed knife. 

For an answer, Dick and Jim both pro- 
duced pocket knives, which seemed strong 
enough for real work. 

“That’s fine,” said Jerry. “Now, let’s go 
over the things we’re going to need. Let’s 
see — there are two lap robe blankets and 
and I’m sure we can find bacon, coffee, 
onions and bread in the wagons.” 

“Better not take bread,” suggested Jim. 

“Why?” asked Dick. 

“Because,” his brother explained, “don’t 


Jerry Sands Series 


51 


you see, the bushes and trees are all soaking 
wet. Our blankets and everything are sure 
to get wet, and if we have bread, it will soak 
all up and be useless.” 

‘‘He’s right,” declared Jerry. “We must 
be sure and pack our provisions in tin cans 
if there are any. And, anyhow, we must be 
sure and put our matches in a can or some- 
thing.” 

“Huh! ril bet the Indians never had 
cans!” came from Dick. “Fll show you 
what they would do.” Whereupon he set 
to work with his knife on a strange looking 
dead branch that had been mixed with the 
bark. 

“This is an elder berry branch,” he ex- 
plained. “I’ve noticed they often grow near 
streams or damp places.” 

He quickly cut three pieces from the 
branch, each one about four inches long. 
Next he cut a slender stem from a live hem- 
lock bough out of which he made a little 
ramrod. Much to Jerry’s surprise, he found 
the center of the elder berry pieces came out 
easily when Dick pushed the ramrod 
through them! A moment later, he had 
stoppers made for the ends, and gave his 


52 


Chief Brave Heart 


brother Jim and Jerry each a perfectly dry 
little tube for matches! And one that would 
keep them dry, too! 

‘‘This is great!” said Jerry enthusiasti- 
cally. “Jim, from now on, let’s call Dick 
‘Chief Thinking One’.” 

Dick was proud of his feat and accepted 
the name with much dignity. 

“I think this is a good start,” Jim said. 
“But so far, Dick is the only Indian. Jerry 
and I must earn a name before we can really 
start our tribe. I think we are going to have 
a good chance, too, in the next few days, 
don’t you, Jerry?” 

“I feel sure of it,” replied Jerry. “And I 
think I’d better go and see about provisions 
now. I can smell coffee boiling over by the 
wagons.” 

The boys proceeded to the wagon camp, 
where they found Mrs. Sands busily at work 
preparing breakfast. Soon the impenetrable 
blackness of night gave way to the grey light 
of early morning. No rain had fallen since 
the day before, but still the soggy wetness 
hung like a blanket over the hills and 
valleys. 

No one but the eager boys would welcome 


Jerry Sands Series 


53 


a plunge into the glistening wet undergrowth 
of the forest. But as the great red sun 
slowly climbed into the eastern horizon, 
three anxious pairs of eyes watched every 
shaking bush or tree, fearing lest Spot should 
make an appearance before the boys set 
out. 

With the increasing light, it was found 
that the stream had gone down enough to 
allow the wagons to pass, so the party hur- 
ried through their breakfast, as much re- 
mained to be done. 

Jerry took care of the blanket packs, ar- 
ranging the coffee, bacon, flour, salt, sugar 
and onions in the center of the blankets in 
such a way as to keep them as dry as pos- 
sible. When Mrs. Sands asked why the 
boys were taking so many things along, 
Jerry explained that they might meet some- 
one who had seen Spot making for the reser- 
vation or for the Woodside Roads Station, 
and if they did, they would go after him, 
even if it took them an extra day. Mrs. 
Sands expressed doubt as to whether the 
boys should be allowed to stay over night 
in the woods, but Mr. Sands and Mr. Nor- 
man explained the bare possibility of such 


54 


Chief Brave Heart 


a thing being necessary, and the subject was 
dropped. 

After breakfast, the two mules were 
hitched to the Sands’ wagon. This was 
drawn up in front of Norman’s and the two 
hitched together. Norman’s remaining 
horse was then hitched in front of the mule 
team and the journey to the homesteads 
was resumed. The boys stayed with the 
wagons long enough to help the men push 
them up the hill on the opposite side of the 
stream. This was the last steep hill on the 
road, Mr. Norman explained, the three 
animals being easily able to haul the load 
the rest of the way. 

The boys stood at the top of the hill for 
several minutes after they had bid their 
parents farewell. None of them spoke as 
the wagons turned a curve in the road, leav- 
ing the boys all alone in the woods. Dick 
was the first to break the silence. 

‘‘Maybe Spot isn’t so far away, after all,” 
he said, looking wistfully at the turn in the 
road where the wagons had disappeared. 

“Is Chief Thinking One afraid of the 
hunting trip ? Does he want to be with the 


Jerry Sands Series 


55 


women and children in the village?” Jerry 
bantered, in true Indian style. 

Dick was a little crestfallen and wished 
he hadn’t said anything. Nevertheless, 
Jerry and Jim were also strangely quiet, and 
while neither spoke, each one secretly felt 
that Spot would be a very welcome horse 
if he were to come walking up the road that 
moment. 

But this feeling did not last long. The 
bright sun soon sent its warm rays over the 
wet wood and road. Countless flocks of 
birds swarmed from tree to tree, alighting 
with such force as to send showers of water 
with a splash to the ground below. 

Out in the woods, where Spot had last 
been seen, a squirrel was chattering a friend- 
ly welcome to the sun and birds, making 
such a racket that a blue jay, perched on the 
top of a young cedar, began screaming in 
protest. 

The boys soon caught the spirit of the 
morning, and with light hearts and high 
hopes made ready for the plunge into the 
woods, the trip that was to mean so much 
to them! 


56 


Chief Brave Heart 


There were only two packs to carry, so 
Jerry and Jim, both being older than Dick, 
took them up. This was not the reason 
they gave for doing so, however. 

“ ‘Palefaces’ work,” said Jerry. “Chief 
Thinking One big Indian. He will guide.” 
Whereupon Dick took the lead, the others 
following. He made at once for the hemlock 
shelter, near which Spot had been tied before 
making his escape. 


Chapter III 


JIM BECOMES CHIEF GREAT 
HUNTER 

Once in the woods, all were serious. 
Spot’s trail, easily seen in the open places 
and still easier to follow where he had broken 
branches and ferns, was a silent reminder 
of the terrible noises of the night before. 

Travel was difficult. First the blanket 
packs would catch in the branches, then the 
trailers would lose sight of one another in 
the dense growth. Conversation was im- 
possible. They were nearing the stream 
again and the undergrowth seemed to grow 
even denser. 

Spot must have found traveling equally 
hard, for in several places great tufts of 
reddish-white hair had been left on thorns 
and sharp branches. Nor was his trail a 
straight one. Just before reaching the first 
signs of water, it turned abruptly and made 
for the ridge of the hill to the left. Where 
the trail turned Dick had stopped short. 


58 


Chief Brave Heart 


“Some reason for this,” he said, as Jim 
and Jerry came up. “Let’s see if we can 
find what it is.” Without further words, he 
dropped to his hands and knees and care- 
fully examined the ground beneath the 
bushes. “See,” he exclaimed, “some animal 
has done this.” 

Jim and Dick pressed forward and saw 
the signs their companion had discovered. 
The ferns and moss had been beaten down 
for a space almost two feet wide. 

“Evidently some animal had made his 
bed here,” said Jim. “Spot must have sur- 
prised him and become frightened again.” 

From this point on, all three were more 
careful to observe the signs around them. 
Twice they ran across rabbits and once a 
larger animal, which might have been a 
deer rushing through the brush ahead, could 
be plainly heard. The trail was leading 
straight for the ridge now, and the boys 
were glad of it. None of them liked the 
traveling through the wet underbrush, which 
was hard to walk through at best. 

As they approached the ridge, the brush 
became thinner and thinner until finally 
they found themselves walking freely be- 


Jerry Sands Series 


59 


tween tall straight spruce trees with nothing 
to hinder their progress. Spot had appar- 
ently slowed down here. In several places, 
Jim pointed out from his trail where he had 
evidently run into a tree in the darkness. 
His tracks were still plainly visible in the 
carpet of brown spruce needles that covered 
the ground. 

‘‘Chief Thinking One is tired,” suddenly 
exclaimed Dick. “Let’s rest.” The others 
needed no urging. Quickly throwing their 
packs to the ground, they seated themselves 
on nearby stones where the direct rays of 
the morning sun filtered down between the 
branches overhead. 

Jerry was light-hearted and was thor- 
oughly enjoying the adventure. Looking 
as solemn as he could, he addressed Dick. 

“Oh, Chief Thinking One,” he began, “how 
can we get game for our food when we have 
no guns of the palefaces ?” 

“Yes,” put in Jim, “and suppose we, in- 
stead of Spot, had come on to that animal 
in the brush, what could we have done ?” 

In spite of Jerry’s humor, the boys were 
in serious earnest. 

“I’ve been thinking,” answered Dick, 


60 


Chief Brave Heart 


‘‘that we ought to make a bow and arrow. 
Do you know how to make one, Jerry 

Jerry shook his head. 

“Well, IVe made little ones, but IVe 
never tried to make one like we need here,” 
Dick said. “But Pll try, anyhow. You 
fellows wait a while, and I’ll see what I can 
find.” 

Jim and Jerry watched Dick as he made 
his way down the slope of the hill to the 
thickets below. Presently they saw him 
returning with a long green rod in his hands. 

“This is vine-maple,” he explained, as he 
came up. “It’s the best wood around here 
for bows.” 

With sharp, quick strokes, he cut the 
smaller limbs from the branch and trimmed 
the ends evenly. The stick was only about 
three feet long, but Jerry found he could 
bend it almost double without breaking it. 

“Now for the string,” exclaimed Jim. 

“I never thought of that,” confessed Dick. 
“What are we going to do ?” 

Try as they would, none of them could 
think of a thing. 

“I’ve got it,” Jerry exclaimed at length. 
‘‘Use my belt!” 


Jerry Sands Series 


61 


Quickly he took his leather belt from 
around his waist, and Dick set to work at 
once cutting two narrow strips from it. 
Jerry put what was left about his waist 
again, and Dick, after tying the two strips 
together, fastened them to the slightly bent 
stick of vine-maple. Again he went to the 
thicket below, this time coming up with 
several straight sticks all free from leaves 
and tiny branches. 

‘‘These are hazel bush shoots,” he said, 
“and will make good straight arrows.” 

Peeling the bark from them, he cut nitches 
in one end, just large enough to allow the 
belt string to fit. Carefully he held the bow 
in his left hand and drew back the arrow 
with his right. To the great satisfaction of 
all, the arrow traveled with great speed and 
in a fairly straight line. But it had hardly 
gone one hundred feet when it deliberately 
turned and went sailing oif to one side. 

“Needs something heavy in the end,” 
suggested Jim. 

Once more they seemed at a loss. But 
soon Chief Thinking One again proved he 
had earned his name. 

“I have three blades in my knife,” he 


62 


Chief Brave Heart 


said, “and so have you, Jim. Let’s use 
the two smaller ones for arrow-heads. They 
are at least two inches long and very sharp.” 

The idea was gladly accepted and soon 
Jerry had unscrewed the side pieces from 
the Norman boys’ knives, taking out the 
four smaller blades as suggested. He then 
placed the side pieces together and fastened 
them as securely as before. Dick now split 
the slender hazel arrows at one end just 
far enough to hold about one-half inch of 
the knife blade. 

Now another difficulty presented itself! 
How were they to hold the knife blades in 
place ? This time it )vas Jim’s turn to find 
the answer. Quite by accident, he had dis- 
covered that wild cherry bark always peeled 
off in long circular strips round and round 
the trunks of the trees. When Jim explained 
his idea, he was chosen to hunt for the 
cherry tree in the thicket below. 

Clump after clump of bushes failed to 
reveal wild cherry and soon Jim found him- 
self on the bank of the stream. It was here 
he came upon the trees he was looking for — 
and also upon something else! The flooded 
stream the day before had left a good-sized 


Jerry Sands Series 


63 


pond of water in a hollow, completely shut 
off from the main stream, which was again 
within its own banks. As Jim passed this 
small pond, he was startled by the sound of 
splashing. Cautiously he parted the bushes 
and looked about. 

Soon a great brown trout leaped high out 
of the water at a passing bug and came down 
with a splash! As the bug skimmed over 
the surface, trout after trout jumped for it, 
until Jim saw that the fish were evidently 
trapped by the falling water and had appar- 
ently eaten all the food in the little pond. 
Quickly he peeled the bark from the cherry 
tree and retraced his steps. At first he 
thought he would tell his companions all 
about his discovery. Then an idea came 
to him! 

‘‘What would you think if we had some 
game for dinner he asked. 

“Hum — I think that would be worth the 
name ‘Chief, Great Hunter’,’’ exclaimed 
Jerry. “But it isn’t very likely to happen.” 

“Might get a rabbit,” said Dick, who was 
deftly wrapping the cherry bark around the 
split which held the knife blade. “With 
this arrow we could kill one easily.” 


64 


Chief Brave Heart 


‘‘Yes, but they are wormy and not fit to 
eat this time of year,” Jerry objected. He 
did not say that he had heard so only the 
day before, when he asked his father to stop 
so he could throw a stone at a rabbit that 
sat beside the road as they passed. 

“Well, I will try and get something,” 
said Jim. “I like the name of Great Hunter 
myself. Let me have the bow and arrow 
for a little while when you are through, 
Dick.” 

The boys made no objection, although it 
was already nearly an hour since they had 
stopped. Finally, the arrows finished, Jim 
was permitted to make the first trial shots. 
Jerry was surprised to find how well his 
friend did, and asked him how he happened 
to learn so quickly. Jim then confessed that 
both his brother and himself had often used 
smaller bows and arrows before coming to 
the homestead. 

“I never thought of using them for hunt- 
ing, though, until you mentioned it last 
night,” he added. 

Having tried the new arrows thoroughly, 
Jim quickly made for the pond where he 
had seen the great brown trout jumping 


Jerry Sands Series 


65 


from the water. Carefully he crept through 
the underbrush. As he neared the water- 
hole at the edge, he lay flat on his stomach 
and listened. 

Spl — ash! Spl — ash! They were still 

jumping! 

‘Won’t the boys be surprised! If I can 
only shoot one!” Jim thought, as he crept 
on. His heart was pounding so fast that he 
could hear it plainly. Now and then he 
would snap a branch or root beneath his 
knees, and anxiously wait to see if the trout 
had heard and stopped jumping. 

Finally he reached the edge of the pond 
and rose to his knees. A great trout came 
splashing along the top of the water, jump- 
ing continually at a small butterfly that 
was vainly trying to cross the narrow pond. 
Jim put the arrow to the leather thong and 
made ready. Nearer and nearer came the 
trout. With a final pull, Jim drew the 
arrow back until the knife blade nearly 
touched his left hand. Quickly he sighted 
along the arrow. Then as the trout came 
up for a final jump, he let go. With a great 
rush trout, arrow, butterfly and all went 
under. The water was still too muddy from 


66 


Chief Brave Heart 


the day before for Jim to see the bottom. 
Almost holding his breath from excitement, 
he watched for the arrow to come to the sur- 
face. Had he missed ? Had his arrow stuck 
in the mud at the bottom.^ He wished he 
had brought another one! 

Eagerly Jim watched the now quiet pond. 
A commotion in the deep water directly 
below him drew his attention. Something 
white, faintly twisting in the water, was 
slowly coming up through the cloudy lower 
water into the clearer water near the sur- 
face. Then Jim recognized his trout, its 
back toward the bottom with the arrow 
clear through and protruding fully six inches 
beyond! With eager hands Jim grasped for 
his prize and all but fell into the water in 
his hurry to have him safe on land 

‘H’ve got him! IVe got him!” he cried 
over and over as he struggled with the slip- 
pery fish. Finally, with bow in one hand 
and carrying the trout by the gills with the 
other, Jim came breathlessly up to his two 
companions. 

Jerry and Dick could hardly believe their 
eyes. 


Jerry Sands Series 


67 


“What have you? Where did you get 
him ?” they cried together. 

Jim was out of breath, but panted his 
story as best he could. 

“From now on, he is Chief Great Hunter!’’ 
exclaimed Jerry proudly. “Only one poor 
pale face left in the party! But just you 
wait. My turn will come!” 

For several minutes the boys admired the 
large trout and asked Jim again and again 
how he did it. 

“If we don’t find Spot, we can cook the 
fish for supper.” 

Jerry and Dick agreed to this, and after 
wrapping the large trout, which weighed 
nearly three pounds, in Jerry’s blanket pack, 
the party set out once more on the trail of 
Spot. 

Chief Thinking One again took the lead, 
followed by Chief Great Hunter. Jerry 
came behind, determined to take advantage 
of the first opportunity to earn a real 
Indian name as well as the admiration of 
his two companions. It was agreed between 
them that each would be called “Chief” 
until all had gained names. After each 


68 


Chief Brave Heart 


had gained his name, the first one to have a 
second important adventure, or the first 
one to do something unusual, would be 
selected as the Chief, and he would then 
be the leader. 

Spot’s tracks were still plainly visible and 
once it seemed they would soon come upon 
him, when they found where he had tramped 
about in one place for a long time, evidently 
browsing on the wild grass that grew in 
patches beneath the trees. 

‘Would you like to find him now ?” asked 
Jim. 

‘Well,” replied Jerry, “I guess I should 
be glad to, but I hope I have an adventure 
of some kind first, so I can really be part of 
the tribe.” 

“Well, you may be the first to see Spot, 
and then you will be Chief Hawk Eye,” 
suggested Dick. 

“Aw, that wouldn’t be worth it,” com- 
plained Jerry. “I want to really do some- 
thing to earn my name, like you fellows 
have done.” 

“But I haven’t done so much,” Dick 
replied. 

“Oh, yes, you have,” his brother answered. 


Jerry Sands Series 


69 


“You were the first to actually make some- 
thing very useful from the woods. You 
taught us both a valuable lesson.” 

“Well, I hope something soon comes along 
for Jerry to do,” Dick replied. 

The trail now took a zig-zag course and 
the boys were finding it harder and harder 
to follow. Spot, it seemed, had decided to 
walk in a circle. For a long time, the boys 
were completely confused. 

“Fll bet he was trying to make up his 
mind which way to go from here,” said Jim. 

“If that’s the case,” Jerry replied, “he 
must have taken wings or gone somewhere 
without leaving any tracks. Maybe Chief 
Thinking One can tell us what to do.” 

Jerry meant it in fun, but Dick took it 
very seriously. 

“I believe,” he replied, “that we had all 
better sit down and think.” Whereupon the 
three sat down and tried to think out some 
answer to the mystery. 

“It is plain that he walked in a circle 
several times,” Jim pointed out, “and he 
must have gone off in some direction over 
ground that leaves very poor tracks, for we 
have found none.” 


70 


Chief Brave Heart 


“Well, what does Chief Thinking One 
say?” demanded Jerry. 

“I say,” Dick replied, “that we have been 
fooled by Spot’s tracks. His trail leads 
somewhere from this circle, but we have not 
found the place.” 

“We know that, but how will we find it ?” 
Jim demanded. 

“By going about a hundred yards from 
these tracks and walking in a circle until 
we come upon his tracks again,” declared 
Dick. 

As usual, Dick had thought of the right 
thing. Jim and Jerry agreed at once and 
soon began searching as Dick suggested. 
Before long they again found where Spot 
had leisurely walked about, munching the 
wild grass which grew thicker and thicker 
as he walked through the scattered trees of 
the hillside. 

“Guess we’ll find him ’most any time, 
now,” suggested Jerry. 

“Looks that way,” agreed Jim. “I hope 
he still has his rope hanging from his halter 
so we can catch him.” 

“Hey, look here, you fellows, quick!” 
shouted Dick, who, as was his nature, had 


Jerry Sands Series 


71 


gone on ahead tracing Spot’s tracks as rap- 
idly as possible. ‘‘You think we will find 
him soon! Just look at this!” 

The boys rushed up to where Dick was 
standing. There before him lay the shredded 
remnants of Spot’s halter, evidently torn 
from his neck when it became entangled 
around his feet. Up to this point, the tracks 
had been hardly noticeable. Now they were 
much farther apart and very plain. There 
could be no mistake. Spot had again be- 
come frightened and had dashed off at a 
mad pace. 

“It must have been dark still when he 
ran from here,” said Dick. “See! He ran 
right down this hillside! I’ll bet there is a 
stream down there, too, just like there is 
on the other side.” 

The three made off at once. The tracks 
were easy to follow and they soon made the 
first fringe of brush in the gully below. Spot 
had plunged right through and headlong 
into the small stream, which, true to Dick’s 
prediction, ran its course along the bottom 
of the ravine. The tracks still showed how 
badly frightened poor Spot must have been, 
for even the brush had hardly held him back. 


72 


Chief Brave Heart 


‘‘I would like to know what frightened 
him,” said Jerry. “Let’s look around and 
see if we can find any other tracks.” 

The idea appealed to his companions and 
soon the three commenced walking in circles 
again, each circle being further away from 
the stream. 

“Here’s something,” shouted Jerry, after 
a few minutes of searching. “Look here, 
here are tracks, and they are even larger 
than Spot’s!” 

Jim and Dick came running up as Jerry 
rushed excitedly along a trail of large tracks, 
plainly seen in the fast drying mud of the 
stream-bed of the day before. 

“What is it? What is it? They’re fresh! 
Look at these great claw marks! I’ll bet 
he is chasing Spot!” the boys shouted to 
each other, becoming more and more ex- 
cited as they rushed along. 

“There’s only one animal in these woods 
large enough to make such great tracks,” 
Dick finally declared, as the boys sat down 
to rest, “and that’s a bear. These tracks 
are much larger than Spot’s. He must be a 
very big bear!” 

“Old Burntsides, I’ll bet,” concluded 


Jerry Sands Series 


73 


Jerry. ‘‘I heard the men say at the Wood- 
side Station hotel that some hunters had 
seen him in the forest only a few days ago.” 

‘‘Do you really think it is Old Burnt- 
sides ?” Jim inquired anxiously, as he looked 
down on the bow and arrows which lay 
across his lap. Jerry and Dick followed his 
glance. How helpless their weapon seemed 
as they gazed at the huge tracks of the bear. 

“Look! Look! What’s that!” Dick ex- 
claimed with a start as he observed still 
another track, much fainter than the first, 
that seemed to run along behind the bear’s 
trail. 

“It looks like a man’s track, but I don’t 
see any heel to it,” said Dick, as he bent 
over one of the tracks Jerry had pointed out. 
“It is a man’s track, though — but he must 
have on queer shoes! Look how round- 
looking the tracks are!” 

“I wonder what a man could be doing 
along here. Look!” and Jim pointed out 
one of the strange man’s tracks that had 
been made directly over one left by Spot. 
“He can’t be very far ahead of us. Let’s 
hurry along and see if we can get sight of 
him!” 


74 


Chief Brave Heart 


Again the boys bent over the trail and 
made their way through the underbrush as 
fast as possible. For a short while all three 
trails, left by the bear, the strange man and 
Spot, ran along together. Spot’s trail soon 
turned off, however, and once more made 
for the side of the little valley. Jerry 
thought it would be best for him to trail 
Spot, leaving the two brothers to follow the 
remaining trails along the edge of the stream. 
It was agreed that this plan should be car- 
ried out so long as they could keep within 
calling distance. 

Jerry had no difficulty in following Spot’s 
hoof prints, for the slope of the hill was 
quite steep and Spot had pawed down much 
dirt in climbing it. 

It seemed to Jerry they must have been 
traveling nearly an hour when he was sur- 
prised by Dick, who suddenly appeared be- 
fore him after scrambling over the top of 
the slope. Jerry was about to shout a greet- 
ing when Dick placed his finger to his mouth 
and cautioned silence. 

‘We’ve hit upon the man’s camp,” he 
whispered, “and the ashes are still hot! He 
can’t be more than just a little ways ahead 


Jerry Sands Series 75 

of us now. Jim thinks you’d better come 
down.” 

Jerry agreed and together they hastened 
to join Jim. Just as Dick had said, they 
came to a small camp-fire. The little mound 
of ashes, hardly more than six inches across, 
was still hot. Several sticks with prongs at 
one end indicated that a meal had been pre- 
pared. The bones of a fish and remnants of 
corn meal were also found nearby. 

“It’s evidently someone tracking Old 
Burntsides,” was Jerry’s opinion. “I think 
we had better hurry on and find him. It 
seems as though we would have to camp in 
the woods tonight — and maybe he would 
like to share our camp, whoever he is!” 

“Let me run on ahead,” urged Jim. “You 
fellows stay here and watch the packs. We 
don’t want to get too far from Spot’s trail, 
you know.” 

Dick and Jerry agreed, but first secured 
a promise from Jim that he would not go 
more than a quarter of a mile at the most, 
and that he would be very careful to keep a 
good distance away from whomever he met 
until he was sure of his friendship. 


76 


Chief Brave Heart 


Grasping his bow and arrows, Jim started 
oflF through the brush at a trot, leaving 
Jerry and Dick sitting beside the ashes of 
the late camp-fire. 


Chapter IV 


INDIAN DAN APPEARS ON THE 
SCENE— SPOT IS LOCATED 

Jerry took advantage of the delay to 
clean the trout, while Dick sat nearby dis- 
cussing the events of the day. 

“Looks as if we will have to spend the 
night somewhere close by,” he said. “Look 
where the sun is.” Jerry noticed that it 
was already well down the western sky. 

“Must be nearly four o’clock,” he re- 
marked. “Pm a little worried about Jim. 
Do you think he will go far?” 

“No, I’m never afraid for Jim so long as 
he is on his feet and can run. He is the 
fastest runner around here. What I’m won- 
dering about is who the man can be. I 
hope Jim sees him, anyway, before he comes 
back.” 

“There! I knew there was something 
wrong,” suddenly exclaimed Jerry as he fin- 
ished washing the trout in the stream. 
“Dick, we haven’t a thing to cook this fish 


78 


Chief Brave Heart 


in tonight, and not a bit of grease even if 
we had a pan.’’ 

“I never thought of that,” confessed Dick. 
“He’s a beauty, too. It’ll be a shame to 
have him spoil! Can’t we roast him on a 
stick.?” 

“No. Fish always cook up soft. He 
would be sure to fall in the fire. I tried it 
once with wieners and even they split and 
fell in, and when I put them on a smaller 
stick, the stick burned up. Oh, well, we’ve 
plenty of other things to eat.” 

“Wrap him up in your blanket again, 
anyhow, Jerry. It’s about time for Jim to 
come back, too. Let’s go a little way down 
the stream and then hide on opposite sides 
of the trail in real Indian fashion and sur- 
prise him!” 

The boys quickly acted upon this sugges- 
tion, each finding a thicket of bushes a few 
feet from where Jim was sure to pass. The 
boys had crouched quietly in their hiding 
places for nearly ten minutes, when they 
were surprised to hear voices coming from 
an opposite direction from which Jim was 
expected. 

“Sure rotten luck. I’ll never come fish- 


Jerry Sands Series 


79 


ing this way again,” someone was saying. 
The voice sounded strangely familiar to 
Jerry! 

‘Tf I hadn’t come along and run on to 
you fellows, you never would have found 
your way,” an older voice replied. 

Jerry and Dick remained motionless as 
the voices approached. 

“Funny how you both happened to fall 
into the creek that way. Should think 
fellows your age would know how to keep 
out of the water anyhow.” The voices 
were coming nearer. 

“Look, dad! There’s been some people 
walking along here.” 

Jerry felt certain he recognized that voice! 
Using all the caution of an Indian, he raised 
himself up and peered through the bushes. 
He was right! Coming along the trail they 
had so recently left, whom should he see 
but Albert Sloan, his cousin George, and a 
heavily built, surly looking man, whom 
Albert had spoken to as dad. 

Carefully Jerry drew himself back into 
the bushes. If only Dick would see that 
Jim was not with the party in time to pre- 
vent his springing out as he and Jerry had 


80 


Chief Brave Heart 


planned! For Jerry had no desire to meet 
his late enemies again under such circum- 
stances. Anxiously he watched Dick’s 
bushes, hoping he could signal to him. 

‘‘Probably some renegade injuns from the 
reservation making for the village,” Tom 
Sloan answered, as he examined the tracks 
his son pointed out. “From the looks of it 
they’re trackin’ Old Burntsides, too.” 

“If that’s the case, then we won’t have a 
chance,” George put in. “They say that 
Indians always get the game they go after.” 

“I wish they would start after you, then,” 
Jerry muttered to himself, as the party 
drew close. 

“Snap! Snap!” Jerry started as two 
twigs snapped loudly in Dick’s cover. 
Click! Click! Click! Jerry recognized the 
sound! Anxiously he peered through the 
bushes and saw every member of the Sloan 
party with rifles cocked, creeping upon the 
bush where Dick had broken the twigs. 

“Something moving in there, all right,” 
Albert whispered so loudly Jerry could hear 
him. “Listen!” 

“Don’t shoot yet. It may be that boss 
that made them tracks back a-ways, and 


Jerry Sands Series 81 

if it is, I sure am wanting him,” his father 
replied. 

The three hunters came creeping closer. 
Dick must have heard them. Thank good- 
ness, he had decided to remain still! Every 
nerve in Jerry’s body was tense, ready to 
spring out and shout a warning should a 
single gun be raised! But the Sloans proved 
to be poor hunters. 

“Aw, it was only a jay or a rabbit. Them 
injuns have chased Burntsides clear out of 
the woods by now. I’d a heap rather see if 
we can pick up that cayuse’s trail. He 
seemed to be making for our clearin’ and if 
he does, he’s my boss. I’ll put him in with 
the bunch I’m sellin’ next week and whos- 
ever he is will never see him in this state 
again.” 

“These tracks may be some of the settlers 
looking for the old nags we got away with 
last week,” suggested George. 

“More likely it’s some of their brats out 
spyin’ on our clearin’,” growled Sloan. “I’ll 
break their necks if I find ’em! Did you 
good-for-nothin’s see anybody up the creek 
yesterday 

“Saw one young fellow, but couldn’t tell 


82 


Chief Brave Heart 


who he was. Never saw him before. He 
came blunderin’ around and we started to 
throw him in, but he ran away.” 

“Yeh, that’s when we fell in,” commented 
George. 

Jerry could hardly keep from chuckling 
to himself, in spite of the seriousness of the 
situation. However, he was sure now that 
Dick would not show himself after hearing 
Sloan’s threat. His only anxiety now was 
that Jim might come upon the party un- 
awares. 

The Sloans had evidently been traveling 
since early morning and were losing interest 
in the hunt. 

‘‘Come on. We’ve got a couple of hours’ 
daylight yet. Let’s make for the clearin’. 
I want to see if we can round that boss up.” 
The elder Sloan did not wait for an answer, 
but plunged off through the brush toward 
the hillside on the top of which Spot’s trail 
could plainly be seen. 

For a moment Jerry’s heart almost 
stopped beating as he watched the intruders 
plunge through the brush where they would 
almost certainly run into Dick! They 
passed through without mishap, however. 


Jerry Sands Series 


83 


and the two boys kept their places without 
exchanging even a signal until the last sound 
of the hunters had died in the distance. 

“Huh, bad man,” someone grunted only 
a few yards from Jerry’s hiding place. 

“Yes, all white men call them bad,” came 
Jim’s voice, much to the amazement of 
Jerry and Dick, who now came crawling 
cautiously out of their hiding places. 

For a moment the two stood in awkward 
silence as Jim came up the path followed by 
a tall figure, the like of which Jerry had 
never seen before! 

Bareheaded and with hair hanging in two 
long black braids over his shoulders, he 
looked for all the world like the Indian pic- 
tures Jerry had seen on the railroad circulars 
back in Illinois. Even his skin, in spite of 
its many wrinkles, had a perfect copper hue! 

Upon seeing his two friends, Jim stepped 
proudly forward and held his right hand 
high in the air before him. 

“Braves! Big Chief Dan, known to his 
many brothers far over the hills as Chief 
Lone Wolf, is with us! Oh, Great Chief,” he 
continued, turning to Indian Dan, “this is 
The Thinking One of whom I have spoken. 



A TALL FIGURE, THE LIKE OF WHICH JERRY HAD 
NEVER SEEN BEFORE 



Jerry Sands Series 


85 


And this,” turning from Dick to Jerry, ‘‘is 
— is — er — ^The Nameless One!” 

In spite of the seriousness of the occasion, 
Jerry and Dick found it hard to keep their 
faces straight. One look from Jim, however, 
who was making such a brave effort to im- 
press Old Dan and keep him with them, was 
enough. With an exaggerated bow, the 
boys presented themselves to their strange 
visitor. 

“Umh! Umh! Lone Wolf likum good 
young bucks! Heap smart! Hide like rab- 
bits while Old Wicked Eye and young-white 
-bucks-with-guns pass. Chief Lone Wolf 
your friend. Go see now where Wicked Eye 
go. Come back soon.” 

Without further ceremony, he glided off 
through the underbrush and was soon lost 
to sight. 

For a moment, Jerry and Dick were 
speechless. Then the questions came faster 
than Jim could answer. 

“Where did you find him ? WhaEs he 
doing here ? Is it really Indian Dan ? 
Where did you learn to talk like an Indian ?” 

In self defense, Jim clasped his hands to 
his ears and refused to listen further until 


86 


Chief Brave Heart 


the boys sat down and permitted him to 
tell his story. 

“Shortly after I left you,” he commenced, 
“I saw him crossing a clear place about two 
hundred yards ahead of me. I did not know 
for sure, but I thought it was Indian Dan. 
At least he was dressed just like Dan was 
last Fourth at the village. I ran as fast as I 
could through the brush. He must have 
heard me, for I nearly ran past him, when 
he stepped out of the bushes and held up 
his right hand like I did just now. I held 
up my bow and arrows and Old Dan seemed 
very much amused. Then he asked me in 
his Indian way why I ran so and I told him 
I had seen him and wanted to say howdy. 
After I told him all this, he just stood still 
and said, ‘Howdy.’ After a while I got him 
to talk again and he told me he was hunt- 
ing a bee tree, and that he was tracking 
Burntsides because he thought the bear was 
making for a bee tree. I asked him what 
he was doing so far from the reservation. 
He looked suspicious then. ‘Too much talk 
no good,’ he said. ‘You ’lone ?’ 

“I told him you two had sent me ahead 
to ask him to share our camp and that you 


Jerry Sands Series 


87 


would be very, very happy if he would come 
back and see you. I don’t think he would 
have come, only he wanted to see for him- 
self who was back here. Well, just as we 
came close, he pulled me into the brush 
with him and said, ‘Wicked Eye come. Lay 
still.’ I didn’t know where you fellows were, 
but I see you must have heard them com- 
ing, too. I don’t know how long Old Dan 
will stay with us.” 

Jerry then explained how they had hap- 
pened into the brush by the merest chance. 

“The Sloan’s homestead must be quite 
close here. Remember they said they could 
easily make it before dark?” said Jerry. 
“I’ll bet Spot is making for it, too.” 

“There’s been a nasty rumor for a long 
time that it is Tom Sloan who has been 
making away with the settlers’ horses and 
chickens,” Jim replied. “Father was on a 
committee that went to see him about it. 
Sloan claimed that renegade Indians and 
Old Burntsides were to blame. They 
wanted to go and look at his clearing but 
he said he would shoot anyone who came 
on his property without his consent. They 
had a hot argument and before they left 


88 


Chief Brave Heart 


Sloan told them not to send any of their 
‘brats’ around spying or they wouldn’t 
come back. If father knew we were near 
his clearing, I know he would be worried.” 

“Do you know where his place is ?” Jerry 
inquired. 

“No,” Dick answered. “I’ve never been 
there myself, but from what father told me, 
it must be down this very gully. He said 
there is only one way to get into the cleared 
pasture land without climbing down steep 
banks into a stream bed that narrows in 
between two cliffs. The sides of this one 
seem to be getting much steeper and closer 
together.” 

“Perhaps that’s why Sloan felt so sure 
that Spot would come to his clearing,” Jerry 
replied. “If he gets into this canyon again 
the poor horse couldn’t go anywhere else 
but to the clearing beyond. Then Sloan 
would have him sure. What do you think 
we’d better do ?” 

Before Dick could answer, Indian Dan 
reappeared as silently as he had left them. 

“Wicked Eye and white bucks-that-carry- 
guns gone. Maybe trackum horse. Lone 


Jerry Sands Series 


89 


Wolf see trail. Sun soon go. Lone Wolf 
help white braves make wigwam.” 

All three of the boys wanted to proceed 
at once and find out for themselves if Spot 
were really in the pasture of the Sloans. 
Jim and Dick especially realized what the 
loss of the horse would mean to their father. 
Jerry, too, had a fairly good idea, for even 
his short acquaintance with the Woodside 
country had taught him how much had to 
be sacrificed in order to have animals with 
which to work. 

Until now, the boys had considered their 
chase after Spot as a mere lark. Now the 
whole situation changed. Sloan was a bad 
customer and would stop at nothing. Yet 
Spot must be recovered at any cost! With 
fall coming on and the crops to harvest, the 
Norman boys could not think of losing one 
of their only two horses! Ordinarily they 
would have gone home at once and reported 
the situation to the men folks and let them 
settle with the horse thieves. But Sloan 
had let the cat out of the bag when he 
talked of selling Spot with the rest of his 
stolen animals early the following week. 


90 


Chief Brave Heart 


Then, too, Sloan had seemed a trifle sus- 
picious of the tracks along the creek and 
might even now be lying in wait for “spies,” 
as he called them, at the entrance to his 
clearing. Altogether the problem was a 
difficult one for the boys, one of whom, at 
least, had never been in these particular 
woods before! 

Dan did not participate in the conversa- 
tion. He had taken a sort of fancy to Dick 
and together they were preparing camp. 

“Help cut poles and let’s get settled before 
the sun goes down,” Dick called presently 
to his two companions. Soon the three were 
busy cutting the long straight alder saplings 
that grew so thickly along the stream bed. 
It was tedious work and took considerable 
time for each of the boys to gather four 
sticks, as the alder had to be over seven 
feet in length to suit Old Dan, which meant 
that nearly two and a half inches of wood 
had to be cut through with a pocket knife. 
Before they were finished, each one had a 
bright red blood blister between the thumb 
and finger on his right hand. 

Dan laid the poles in a parallel pile and 
deftly tied the smaller ends together with a 


Jerry Sands Series 


91 


loose loop made of some sort of vine from 
the hillside. Quickly the poles were erected, 
one large one in the center and ten, grouped 
in Dan’s loop at the top, spread out so that 
the thick ends formed a circle, standing 
about a foot and a half apart. 

By the time Dan had the poles set, Dick 
had untied Jerry’s pack, and had the large 
blanket spread out on the ground. Dan 
tied the twelfth pole along one side of this 
blanket and then draped it over the other 
ten.. The blanket was not long enough to 
reach entirely around at the bottom, but 
when the boys got inside, they found the 
shelter practically wind-proof and very com- 
fortable. 

Since Old Dan joined them, the boys had 
felt a sense of security and safety they had 
not known the night before. There was 
something about his actions, his familiarity 
with the trees and vines, the ease with which 
he erected the tepee shelter, that made the 
boys feel that the woods were really quite 
the place to live in after all. During the 
entire time required to erect the tepee, Dan 
had said nothing beyond giving a few gut- 
tural directions to Dick. 


92 


Chief Brave Heart 


The fate of Spot continued to be the cen- 
ter of interest. Old Dan could not help but 
notice the worried looks on his companions’ 
faces as they discussed the serious business 
before them. Even if they left for home 
early next morning, they could not be sure 
that Spot was held by Sloan. Whatever 
they did, this point must be settled first. 
They did not know how far they had come, 
but Jerry figured from the time they had 
started that they must be at least eight 
miles from the camp by the road. 

‘‘No,” he concluded, “there is only one 
thing for us to do. We must locate Spot 
in the morning and get him out of the 
Sloan’s clearing at all costs. It would take 
us all day tomorrow to go home, then 
another day for the men to come back here, 
and by that time Sloan could have the 
horses far away down the valley.” 

Completely tired out by their strenuous 
day, the boys finally threw themselves down 
on the remaining blanket for a few moments’ 
rest before making the evening fire. They 
had had only a cold lunch at noon and were 
ravenously hungry. Even the thought of 
again eating cold canned meat without 


Jerry Sands Series 93 

bread or coffee did not dampen their eager- 
ness for the evening meal. 

Jim was for opening their last can of 
corned beef and eating at once. 

“Let’s look at the fish, anyway,” Dick 
complained; “and why did we bring flour 
and coffee and onions and potatoes, any- 
way ? Guess I won’t be the Thinking One 
any more. Anyone should have thought of 
bringing something to cook in!” 

Poor Dick was the picture of dejection 
with his tousled sandy hair, falling in a 
confused heap, his freckled face smeared 
with dirt and many kinds of stains from his 
long trip through the woods. Jerry was 
little better. His overalls had been torn in 
several places and his face, though his skin 
was fair and he had no freckles, was as dirty 
and streaked as that of his younger partner. 
His hair, ordinarily a deep brown, had been 
clipped short before leaving his old home, 
causing his slouch hat to fit loosely and fall 
almost to his ears. Jim was the first to go 
to the stream and wash his face and hands. 
This done, he presented a rather neat ap- 
pearance in his heavy blue woolen shirt and 
close fitting cap. 


94 


Chief Brave Heart 


All three were extremely interested in 
watching every movement of Indian Dan. 
They knew it was time to start a fire, but 
each one was a bit timid at trying it for they 
had learned the night before that it was 
not an easy matter to start a fire without 
paper or dry wood. Jerry looked about for 
an old snag for bark such as they had found 
the night before, but everything seemed to 
be green and fresh along the stream. 

Dan, although he said nothing, seemed to 
be perfectly aware of what was going on in 
the boys’ minds. At least it seemed that 
way, for he deliberately waited until Jerry 
and Dick had wasted nearly all of their 
matches before he took a hand at fire-mak- 
ing himself. With incredible quickness he 
gathered large handfuls of dried grass and 
small twigs within a dozen feet of the places 
where the boys had searched in vain for 
anything at all that was dry enough to light! 
They soon discovered why they had not 
succeeded. The high water of the day be- 
fore, while it had thoroughly soaked what- 
ever dry material might have been found 
on the ground, had deposited numerous 
little tufts of grass, dead water-weeds and 


Jerry Sands Series 


95 


small twigs high up on the willow bushes. 
The light breeze and hot sun of the day had 
thoroughly dried these little clusters and 
Dan had no difficulty in gathering great 
handfuls which flamed up brightly the mo- 
ment the match was applied. Soon larger 
and larger sticks were placed on the blaze 
until the cheerful little fire no longer 
required the help of the finer grass and 
twigs. 

Jerry had placed the potatoes, fish, flour 
and bacon in the center of the blanket and 
was mournfully selecting the can of corned 
beef, which he announced would be all they 
could have for supper, when he became con- 
scious of Dan’s presence by his side. 

“Eatum!” Dan pointed out the little pile 
of provisions in the center of the blanket. 

‘‘I wish we could, but they must be cooked 
and we brought nothing with us,” Jerry 
answered. 

“Lone Wolf fixum. Travel far with moon 
tonight. Eat big.” It was evident that 
the Indian wanted no help. It was also 
very evident from his hungry looks that he 
had been traveling on short rations. Jerry 
wondered what he would have eaten if 


96 


Chief Brave Heart 


he had not met them. Little did Jerry 
know the Indian! He could not understand, 
for instance, the natural instinct for food 
that prompted Old Dan to hide his own 
dried fish and corn meal when he sensed the 
possibility of obtaining food from the boys. 
Perhaps Jerry had in mind the Fourth of 
July affair at the village which Jim had 
related. But this was a case of Indian pride 
about which Jerry was to learn much later. 

The tired boys were willing enough to rest 
while Lone Wolf worked miracles with the 
food. Jerry took in every detail, for here 
indeed was a real lesson! 

The entire supply of potatoes, six nice 
large ones, were buried in the hot ashes on 
the edge of the fire, Dan being particular 
to see that live coals and fire were separated 
from them by at least one layer of dirt or 
dead ashes. This attended to, he walked to 
the stream, wandering along its bed for 
nearly ten minutes. At length he returned 
with two rather large fiat rocks. One of 
them he placed in the fire. Without a word 
of explanation, he then deliberately reached 
over and took Jerry’s felt hat from his head. 
Again he went to the stream, this time re- 


Jerry Sands Series 


97 


turning with the hat brimming full of water. 
Then, using the remaining stone much as 
Jerry had seen his mother use the bread- 
board at home, the old Indian mixed flour 
and water together, occasionally adding a 
pinch of salt, until he had fully a dozen 
little flat cakes laid out on the edge of the 
blanket. 

“Wonder if he’s going to eat them raw,” 
Jerry whispered to Dick, who was sitting 
next to him. 

“The way I feel, I could even eat the 
stone,” Dick replied. “Look! He’s going 
to do something with the fish, too.” 

“It looks to me as though he was making 
a mud pie,” said Jerry, for the Indian was 
scooping up a quantity of damp clayish 
mud from the edge of the stream. 

Then came the real surprise of the eve- 
ning. Dan deliberately placed Jim’s fine 
trout in the center of the large mud pie, 
working the mud into a compact roll, the 
fish in the center completely covered with 
mud on all sides. The Indian worked so 
quickly and with such skill that the boys 
almost forgot their intense hunger. With 
the aid of two short sticks, Dan pulled the 


98 


Chief Brave Heart 


flat rock, which had become extremely hot 
in the fire, to one side and commenced lay- 
ing the flour and water cakes upon it. In 
the small opening where the stone had been, 
he placed the mud roll containing the fish. 

Four cakes were placed on the heated 
stone at one time, but even what little space 
was left had its use, for Dan soon cut some 
long strips of bacon which he laid between 
the frying cakes. Soon the meal was ready. 
And such a meal! Large mealy potatoes 
baked to a turn came from the ashes. Jerry 
with his long bladed knife made a slit in 
each one just long enough to hold a crisp 
piece of bacon. 

The thin flour and water cakes, which 
ordinarily would have been hard and dry, 
had fried to a light brown and had a won- 
derful flavor (at least so the hungry boys 
thought) from the bacon grease in which 
they had fried. 

But the crowning dish of all proved to be 
Jim’s trout. It seemed that Old Dan knew 
exactly when to rake it from the coals and 
lay it on a little pile of green ferns in the 
center of the blanket-tablecloth. Much to 
the boys’ delight, the hard-baked mud fell 


Jerry Sands Series 


99 


cleanly away from the fish, taking the skin 
only with it, so that Dan soon had the 
baked mud cleaned away, leaving the deli- 
cious pink-white meat of the trout steaming 
from its platter of ferns! 

It is hard to say who ate the most — Old 
Chief Lone Wolf or the three boys com- 
bined. Certain it is that all fell to the meal 
as though it were the first time they had 
eaten for days. Jerry started to use his 
knife for a spoon, but soon gave it up and 
joined the others in using his fingers exclu- 
sively. 

“Hands were made before knives, any- 
way,” Dick laughed, as he reached for his 
third flour and water cake. 

Darkness came rapidly after the sun had 
once gone down beyond the crest of the 
western hill. More wood was placed on the 
fire, and the little party, having finished the 
meal, settled down for the evening. Spot 
and the plans for the next day again occu- 
pied their entire attention and plan after 
plan was suggested and thoroughly dis- 
cussed. 

Old Dan had nothing whatever to say, 
but sat back in the tepee, perfectly straight 


100 


Chief Brave Heart 


and still with never a sign that he under- 
stood or even heard what was being said. 
So the boys talked on as though they were 
alone in the camp. But soon the heavy 
meal and warm glow of the camp fire caused 
a drowsiness to come over them which they 
found harder and harder to shake off. 

Jerry, in fact, was nodding continually 
and was about to suggest that they lie down 
for the night, when Dan shook himself and 
stalked out of the blanket tepee. 

‘‘Moon come. Lone Wolf go. One more 
moon be reservation. White brothers heap 
good. Sun come. Be rabbit with Wicked 
Eye! Maybe fox! When moon big once 
more. Lone Wolf bring brothers. Come 
spear fish — see white brothers.’’ 

The boys scrambled to their feet hastily 
and Jerry started to thank Dan for his great 
help. But the old Indian had spoken all he 
had to say and strode off down the creek 
without a word further and without even a 
glance toward his three late companions. 

“Isn’t he a queer old fellow ?” said Dick, 
when he was certain he could not be over- 
heard. “Where do you suppose he is going 
now ?” 


Jerry Sands Series 


101 


“I think he has left the reservation with- 
out permission,” Jim suggested, “for he 
seemed very anxious to know who was back 
here with me. I think he’s going back 
toward the reservation now.” 

“Well, I learned more from him tonight 
than I would have learned in months,” 
was Jerry’s thought. “I know I would 
never feel uneasy with him around.” 

But Dan was gone, and the boys were 
too tired and sleepy even to keep the fire 
going longer. Spreading the blanket on the 
ground within the tepee, all three curled up 
on one-half of it, and covered themselves 
with the other. 

Not one of the boys had rested more than 
three hours the night before, and now at the 
close of the exciting day, they slept like 
weary soldiers after a long forced march. 
And it was well they did, as the strenuous 
events of the morrow proved. 


Chapter V 

JERRY WINS A DESPERATE FIGHT 
AND BECOMES GREAT CHIEF 
BRAVE HEART 

Jerry had no way of knowing the time of 
night when he finally woke from his first 
long sleep. He felt rested and fresh, how- 
ever, and thought it must be well toward 
morning. He was trying to decide whether 
or not he should wake his companions when 
he discovered that they, too, were thinking 
the same thing. 

“You awake, Jerry?” asked Dick. 

“Yes — ^just woke up. Wonder what time 
it is,” Jerry replied. “How did you sleep ?” 

“Fine. Never slept better in my life. 
Jim’s awake, too. Jim!” 

The latter was hardest of the three to 
arouse. It seemed to him that it could not 
be much past midnight, for it was even 
darker than when they lay down. 

“That’s because the moon is down,” Dick 
explained, “which is a sure sign that morn- 
ing must be nearly here.” 


Jerry Sands Series 


103 


Once completely aroused from their deep 
sleep, they realized the importance of the 
day ahead of them. At Jerry’s suggestion, 
they took a thorough wash in the cool water 
of the stream and did their best to repeat 
Old Dan’s performance of the night before. 
They were greatly hindered by the darkness, 
however, and soon decided to open the can 
of meat and not try cooking until they had 
more time and less important things to 
think about. 

“I believe we had better hide our blanket 
rolls here,” Dick suggested, when they had 
finished breakfast. “We all know this place 
well and if we should get separated during 
the day, we will meet here.” 

The idea was a good one and soon the 
blankets, containing what was left of the 
food, were rolled in two packs and carefully 
hidden in the bushes. 

“Let’s not try to follow Spot’s tracks,” 
Jim advised. “If Sloan’s clearing really is 
near here, it must be right down this stream. 
I’m in favor of getting into it before day- 
light if we can.” 

Jerry and Dick agreed and soon the party 
was making its way slowly through the 


104 


Chief Brave Heart 


underbrush, following the banks of the 
stream as their guide. 

The trip the day before had been hard, 
but this early morning struggle through the 
bushes along the stream was the hardest 
test the boys had so far encountered. First, 
they would slip in some water hole, badly 
scratching their shins and knees on the 
sticks and roots as they fell through; or 
they would walk too close behind one an- 
other, ignorant of their mistake until some 
switch, bent taut by the one ahead, would 
whip back and strike with a nasty cut about 
the face and neck. Times without number 
Jerry lost his wide felt hat and had to hunt 
for it in the darkness until his comrades 
would be yards ahead of him. Rushing to 
catch up, he would often trip over bushes 
that a walker could easily avoid and plunge 
headlong into patches of nettles and sticky 
long grasses. Altogether, the three were 
nearly desperate when Jim, who had taken 
the lead, called a halt. 

‘‘Let’s take a chance and walk along the 
ridge. We can make much better time and 
wait until daylight to go through the nar- 
row part of this canyon. It’s awful.” 


Jerry Sands Series 


105 


“I didn’t think there w^s so much brush 
in all the world,” panted Jerry. 

‘‘And I’ve lost my hat and most of the 
skin on my face and shins,” complained 
Dick. “I think Jim is right, only for good- 
ness’ sake let’s rest awhile.” 

When they finally made for the ridge they 
were familiar with, all were completely sur- 
prised to find almost sheer walls in place of 
the slope they had found before. 

“This must be the entrance to the clear- 
ing all right,” said Jim, after they had 
struggled along the wall far enough to be 
sure that it ran for considerable distance. 
“No use trying to scale this. We’ll have 
to make our way through the brush the 
best we can.” 

Not a word of complaint came from the 
youthful trailers as this decision was reached. 
Jerry wondered at the perseverance and 
determination of his friends, but already he 
was beginning to feel the spirit of the home- 
steaders, the spirit of love and devotion to 
home and parents that would have carried 
the boys to any extremity, once the happi- 
ness or the rights of the little family was 
endangered. To lose Spot was a real ca- 


106 


Chief Brave Heart 


lamity and no one knew it better than Jim 
and Dick! Jerry resolved then and there, 
as his two companions insisted on plunging 
once more through the darkness into the 
punishing underbrush, that he would not 
let them outdo him either in courage or 
willingness. Spot would be found and re- 
turned safely to the Norman homestead. 
Of that much he was certain! 

There had never been a quarrel among 
the Woodside Roads settlers until the evil 
spirit of the Sloan family was felt. No one 
knew exactly where the Sloans came from, 
but it was pretty well understood that they 
had shifted about, jumping claims here and 
there, moving about on the edge of the 
Indian reservation and causing trouble 
wherever they went. 

Their sudden appearance here had been 
accompanied by mysterious losses of farm 
stock generally, mostly horses and calves. 
At first, the older farmers could hardly 
believe that a fellow settler would deliber- 
ately steal. But gradually the rumor spread 
that Tom Sloan made frequent long trips 
out of the country, driving horses and cat- 
tle before him. But so far, no one had ac- 


107 


Jerry Sands Series 

tually seen stolen animals in his possession, 
and nothing had been done. But neither 
had any trace been found of the “lost” 
animals. 

It was still dark when the badly tattered, 
much scratched trio suddenly came upon a 
trail. With a genuine sigh of relief, they 
took advantage of their discovery and made 
haste to cover as much ground as possible 
before daylight. They had covered nearly 
a mile when Jim halted so suddenly that 
Dick ran squarely into him, exclaiming 
loudly as he did so. 

“Hello — ^what’s that?” came a voice in 
the darkness. 

“I don’t hear nothing,” someone answered. 

“I tell you somebody’s on this here trail. 
They’re aimin’ to git into our pasture afore 
daylight.” 

It was the gruff voice of Tom Sloan. 
Breathlessly the boys fell to their hands 
and knees and crawled back along the trail 
as fast as they could. 

“Them was their tracks we saw down 
below,” they could hear Sloan saying. 
“Both o’ you would ’a’ gone clear on to the 
house last night. I knowed better. If it 


108 


Chief Brave Heart 


wasn’t for me, you fellows would be in jail 
all your worthless lives. Keep your mouths 
shut now and watch close. I tell you I 
heard something.” 

The boys crawled rapidly in the opposite 
direction until they were certain they were 
out of hearing distance. For several min- 
utes they listened carefully to make certain 
they were not followed. 

‘‘Let’s get out of ear-shot and hide till 
daylight,” whispered Jerry. “They made 
camp on the trail last night to make sure 
no one came in. Sloan must have quite a 
bunch of horses all right. He seems to be 
worried.” 

“He’ll be certain to try and get out of the 
country with ’em now,” said Dick, “for he 
knows someone is on his trail.” 

Although the forced rest was sorely 
needed, the boys grew extremely impatient 
at the delay. Dick was for attempting to 
steal past the sleeping party at once, but 
the calmer judgment of Jim and Jerry with- 
held him. 

Before long the boys once more witnessed 
the gray light of morning in the forest coun- 
try. They knew from their experience the 


Jerry Sands Series 


109 


day before that sun rays would soon follow 
the first signs of light, and all were tense 
with interest as the first faint outlines of 
the country were revealed. 

True to Jim’s prediction, they found 
themselves in the bottom of a narrow gulch, 
the sides of which were steep and barren. 
Through the trees ahead they could faintly 
see the outlines of a clearing. Beyond this 
they could not see, but Jim said it must be 
the river, as his father had described Sloan’s 
clearing as a sort of Y formed by high walls 
on the sides and cut off in front by the 
Woodgulch River. It was understood that 
Sloan had several secret trails leading to 
the river out of which he could take his 
horses without fear of detection. 

As more of the country could be seen, the 
boys found they were within one hundred 
yards of the cleared pasture. A heavy log 
barn or house stood directly in the center, 
but there seemed to be no one living in it, 
as the tall grass which grew so luxuriantly 
over the pasture continued right up to the 
very door of the building. 

‘‘The Sloan party are evidently going to 
have breakfast,” Jerry observed, as he 


110 


Chief Brave Heart 


pointed out a thin streak of smoke that 
came up through the trees. “This ought 
to be our chance to get past them.” 

“I think we ought to separate,” was 
Dick’s advice. “If we travel together, we 
are certain to make a lot of noise. Let’s 
go one at a time and meet out in the clear- 
ing.” 

Without further words, Jim pointed out 
a lone cedar snag near the edge of the pas- 
ture and declared that he would be the 
first to make it. 

“After I have been gone about twenty 
minutes, one of you start; then the last one 
can come,” he whispered, as he made down 
the trail. 

Dick and Jerry sat silently in their hid- 
ing place, straining their ears for any sound 
that might suggest danger to Jim. Next 
Dick slipped off through the brush with a 
cheerful “See you soon, Jerry” and made 
for the lone cedar. 

Then came Jerry’s turn. Creeping along 
through the bushes, he made as wide a 
detour as possible when he came near the 
enemies’ camp. He found Dick and Jim 


Jerry Sands Series 


111 


lying flat in the tall grass near the snag, 
anxiously awaiting him. 

As soon as he was settled, Jim pointed 
out a herd of ten or fifteen horses grazing 
quietly on the far side of the pasture. In 
the very center of the bunch was Spot! — 
grazing leisurely away, wholly unconscious 
of the anxiety and danger he was causing. 

“If we could only get a rope and crawl 
among those horses!” Dick exclaimed. 

“Then we would be lost,” his brother re- 
plied. “We must get back through the 
gully along that trail, and the Sloans are 
there.” 

For nearly half an hour the boys seemed 
at their wit’s end. Plan after plan was dis- 
cussed, but nothing seemed to come of any 
of them. Several times they decided to wait 
for the Sloans to leave, but each time Jerry 
pointed out that if they did, they would 
probably take the horses with them as there 
was no one living in the house and since 
they had lain at the entrance trail all night, 
it was plain they would not leave the horses 
alone. The situation was really bad. Here 
they had found Spot and had come into the 


112 


Chief Brave Heart 


very pasture unharmed, but could do noth- 
ing more! It began to look even as 
though they would have to lie there and see 
Spot taken away before their very eyes! 
For presently Sloan, followed by Albert and 
George, came into the clearing. 

Jerry swore he had never seen anyone so 
mean looking in all his life as Tom Sloan. 
His clothes bore evidence of being slept in 
many nights; a stubble beard and shaggy 
mustache completely hid most of his 
face. George and Albert seemed to be at 
least sixteen years old. Jerry knew from 
past experiences what ugly customers they 
were. But he also knew they were not so 
hard to handle as they seemed! 

The party appeared to be coming straight 
for the cedar tree! So close, in fact, that 
the boys retreated several paces through 
the grass for safety. Sloan’s eyes seemed to 
flash about everywhere. Once it seemed 
certain that he had discovered the boys, for 
he looked directly at the place where they 
were hiding, and deliberately stood still for 
nearly a minute! 

‘‘Couldn’t have seen us. But lie awful 


Jerry Sands Series 


113 


quiet,” cautioned Dick. They could now 
hear what the Sloans were saying. 

“Now, you young fools have been a-want- 
in’ to get to a town again, let’s see how fast 
you can git that bunch o’ horses caught up. 
Git your saddle ’uns first. I’m a-goin’ to try 
that spotted one myself. Bring him in 
right off.” 

The situation was becoming critical, but 
still no opportunity seemed to present it- 
self. The boys twisted nervously in their 
hiding place. Sloan himself made for the 
low log house. Jerry observed it closely. 
He noticed the heavy log door that swung 
outward and the one small square window 
in the side nearest them. This, too, had 
been equipped with a heavy shutter, which 
dangled loosely in the light morning breeze. 
Suddenly Jerry reached over and patted 
Jim on the shoulder. 

“I’ve got it!” he exclaimed enthusiasti- 
cally. “Here’s our only chance, and we 
can do it, tool” 

Quick as a fiash Jerry had conceived a 
great plan. As he laid it before the boys, 
giving each one his particular work, it was 


114 


Chief Brave Heart 


easy to see why Jerry had been the leader 
of the boys in his old home town! Now he 
thrilled with the thought that for once he 
could be the leader of a real game, the most 
exciting one he had ever played! 

“Jim, Dick says you’re the fastest runner 
in the country here. You make off for the 
corner over there. When Albert and George 
get a rope on Spot, you get right up and 
holler at them. Do anything so they will 
chase you. Then lead ’em off through the 
trail and try your level best to lose ’em in 
the woods! 

“Dick, you take the bow and arrows. 
There’s four of them. Sneak out and get 
among the horses. Get hold of Spot’s rope. 
If you do, shoot arrows at four of the other 
horses and get them to run away. Then 
you make for the trail. We’ll meet you at 
last night’s camp.” 

“But what will we do with Sloan him- 
self?” protested Jim and Dick. 

“Leave him to me.” 

Something in Jerry’s eyes told his two 
companions that all was not going to be well 
with Mr. Sloan. Also they felt sure that 
Jerry would come out somehow. But both 


Jerry Sands Series 115 

realized that he had chosen far the hardest 
part of the fight for himself. 

After the long wait and the hopeless feel- 
ing that they could do nothing, the boys 
took to Jerry’s plan with a will. Of course, 
it was dangerous. But it was action, and 
anything was better than lying there and 
seeing Spot led away forever! 

‘‘Get your places, and then don’t do a 
thing till I whistle,” Jerry ordered as the 
boys slipped off through the grass. “Don’t 
let them see you first or everything will be 
lost.” 

For a moment Jerry lay perfectly quiet. 
Then he crawled cautiously toward the 
house. Sloan was sitting on a stump about 
fifty yards in front of Jerry’s goal, out 
toward the horses. 

Spot must have sensed his danger. Sev- 
eral times to Jerry’s great satisfaction, he 
flung his heels in the air and made off 
around the clearing. 

Well did he know how precious these 
minutes were! While Sloan haw-hawed at 
the boys from his stump, shouting directions 
in his coarse language, Jerry worked. Sneak- 
ing to the door of the cabin he peered within. 


116 


Chief Brave Heart 


At first he could see nothing, for his eyes 
were still accustomed to the sun’s rays. 

Gradually he made out the interior. The 
ground floor for fully six inches deep was 
covered with litter from horses. 

“He packs ’em in here and locks the door 
whenever he thinks there are spies about,” 
thought Jerry to himself. This, he reasoned, 
accounted for the Sloan’s not occupying the 
house. One lone piece of furniture, which 
might have been a table at one time, stood 
on the side of the room beneath the little 
window. 

“I’ll take a chance,” he concluded. 

Apparently satisfied with his inspection, 
he made his way around to the one window, 
which, as luck would have it, was on the 
side away from Sloan and the horses. As 
he had noticed before, the window had a 
coarse board shutter which flapped loosely 
with every puff of wind. Here again 
Jerry measured with his eye the distance 
from the window to the ground. 

“About six feet,” he figured as he again 
made his way to the pile of brush and old 
logs in the rear. 

Presently he re-appeared below the win- 


Jerry Sands Series 


117 


dow with two sturdy poles each over six 
feet in length. With one of these he pushed 
the shutter tight and braced it. Satisfied 
with his experiment, he lowered the pole 
and made sure that the shutter was again 
free to flap in the breeze. 

“Now for the door,” he said, as he cau- 
tiously worked his way around the corner 
of the house. Here great caution was neces- 
sary, for the door was in plain sight of every 
one. 

Creeping stealthily up through the tall 
grass, he examined every detail. He found 
it to be made entirely of medium sized logs 
held together at the top and bottom by 
broad strips of split logs fully three inches 
thick and nearly a foot wide. The hinges 
were crude aflPairs, but very strong, and 
could only be seen from the outside. 

Having finished his examination of the 
door, he again peered within the room. This 
time he could have sworn he saw something 
moving in the far corner! But he could not 
be sure. Crawling around to the far side, 
he found, much to his satisfaction, that no 
opening of any kind had been cut through 
the solid logs. 


118 


Chief Brave Heart 


Nothing more remaining to be done, Jerry 
turned his attention to the horse thieves. 
He was none too soon! 

“Bring ’em in. Let’s get out o’ here. I’ll 
tame that cayuse,” Sloan was bellowing 
across the field. 

Albert had Spot securely held with a 
coarse rope halter, while George led five of 
the other horses by long ropes tied about 
their necks. 

Jerry scanned the grass. Not a sign of 
Dick or Jim could he see. The great mo- 
ment had come. His heart seemed to fill 
his entire chest and still to demand more 
space! Twice he put his fingers to his lips 
to sound the signal. Twice he lowered them 
and crept closer to Sloan’s stump. It would 
never do. Sloan must be taken care of be- 
fore Dick and Jim exposed their presence. 

Nervously Jerry retraced his course and 
hurried to the brush pile in the rear of the 
cabin. Grasping the longest switch he could 
find, he once more made for the stump. 
The horses were coming closer and were 
now almost halfway to the stump. 

“How Dick and Jim must feel!” thought 
Jerry. 


Jerry Sands Series 


119 


Yard after yard he covered as rapidly as 
he could. Closer and closer he came to the 
stump. Weaker and wobbly, his ankles and 
knees barely held him up. He wondered if 
his legs would become stronger. His stomach 
felt empty and terribly weak. He hurried 
on. Sloan would surely hear his pounding 
heart now! He increased his speed. Closer 
and closer came the stump. He could see 
the color of Sloan’s hair. There were burrs 
and twigs matted in it! 

Jerry thought he had never seen a larger 
man in his entire life! After all, maybe he 
should have told Jim and Dick more of his 
plan. But Spot was coming closer. It was 
now or never! 

With one frenzied rush, in which all the 
terror his imagination could put in him 
came out, Jerry lunged toward the stump. 
Brandishing his switch above his head he 
made for Sloan! 

“There, you big thief, take that! And 
that! And that!” Jerry hardly knew what 
he was doing. With three wild swings, he 
lashed his switch about the man’s face, each 
blow finding its mark! For a moment Sloan 
was completely taken by surprise. Then, 
with a bellow of rage, he lunged after Jerry. 


120 


Chief Brave Heart 


“Do your part, Jim — Dick. I’m whis- 
tling — I’m whistling!” screamed Jerry, as he 
fled before the man. Poor Jerry could 
easier fly than whistle now! Twice he 
tripped in the grass as he rushed toward the 
cabin. His breath was already coming in 
quick, little jerks. 

“I’ll git ye and I’ll break every bone in 
your carcass, you varmint!” yelled Sloan as 
he bore down. 

But the first panic was over. Jerry’s plan 
was working! It would soon be over now! 
And he was running! Could he beat Sloan ? 
He began to reason again, to feel sure of 
himself. He must keep Sloan busy! 

He raced on in a wide circle. The field 
seemed to be empty save for himself and 
the cursing man behind. Jerry was tir- 
ing fast. Long grass wrapped about his 
legs and seemed to hold him tight! Would 
Sloan never tire? He was coming closer! 
Once more Jerry tripped and fell headlong. 
He scrambled up none too soon, for Sloan 
was right behind him. A sharp pain in the 
left side caught Jerry! If he could only 
stop — ^just a moment! He must stop. His 
wind was gone! 


Jerry Sands Series 


121 


He could almost feel hot breath on the 
back of his neck. If he could only get out 
of the grass! He made for the cabin now, 
his only hope. He must get there somehow. 
A trick he learned at school flashed through 
his whirling brain. He would try it. He 
must try something. With a last great 
effort, he spurted on. Yes, Sloan was back 
of him! Jerry slowed down. With a grunt 
of rage, Sloan speeded up. As he did so, 
Jerry fell limply before him. The trick 
worked. Sloan stumbled heavily and went 
headlong into the grass. Quickly Jerry 
gathered himself up and made once more 
for the cabin. The moment’s rest had done 
its part. He could keep on a little farther. 

Sloan was saving his breath now. He 
rushed after the boy in silent, deadly rage. 
With one final spurt, Jerry rushed through 
the open door of the log cabin. Sloan was 
scarcely twenty feet behind. 

‘‘Now I got ye — now I got ye,” he roared. 

Desperately Jerry made for the old table 
under the window. It was well for him that 
he had fixed the location in his mind! He 
could see nothing in the dark room. Madly 
he scrambled up, grasping the window edge 



SLOAN STUMBLED HEAVILY AND WENT HEADLONG 
INTO THE GRASS 





Jerry Sands Series 


123 


with his hands. With a last heroic effort, he 
pulled himself up and fell through to the 
ground outside! Partly stunned and bleed- 
ing, Jerry never hesitated. With a quick- 
ness that terror only can give, he grabbed 
the pole he had left and slammed the shutter 
tight. One moment more and the pole was 
propped against it. 

A dozen leaps and he was at the front 
door. Slam! The second log was jammed 
in place. His strength was all but gone. 
He could hear Sloan inside, raging and 
pounding about. Reeling with exhaustion, 
he made for the log pile for more props for 
the window and door, but the light faded 
from before his eyes and he sank limply to 
the cool grass. 


Far away in the woods another chase was 
fast coming to an end. When Jim saw 
Jerry’s mad rush toward Sloan, he knew he 
could lie still no longer. Fortune had been 
with him, for the two cousins were scarcely 
a dozen feet away when he sprang from the 
grass. Without waiting for the expected 
whistle from Jerry, he rushed among the 
horses, causing them to rear up and plunge 


124 


Chief Brave Heart 


about so viciously that Jerry and his pur- 
suer were completely ignored in the confu- 
sion. At first Albert and George tried to 
hold their animals, but when they saw that 
their antagonist was a mere slip of a boy, 
they dropped their ropes and rushed for 
him. Jim’s reputation as a runner was well 
earned. With light springing steps, he 
easily led the way toward the gap, always 
just far enough ahead to keep his pursuers 
on his trail. Twice before leaving the pas- 
ture he deliberately fell and rolled in the 
grass, springing up and dashing off when 
the cousins approached. Using all the clev- 
erness and skill he could master, he kept up 
the game of “Fox and Hounds” until they 
were well down the trail and out into the 
open canyon. Long before reaching the 
camp site of the night before, he swung off 
to the right, directly away from the ridge 
they had previously followed. Before long 
the chase settled down to a scramble through 
the underbrush, and it required all of Jim’s 
skill to keep the cousins after him. Finally 
he resorted to taunts and jeers, once even 
letting Albert Sloan get close enough behind 
him to receive a stinging blow from a young 


Jerry Sands Series 125 

sapling that he had bent over for the occa- 
sion. 

At length Jim decided he had kept up the 
chase long enough. With rapid strides he 
made through the forest at a pace that soon 
had his pursuers hopelessly lost in the rear. 
After much manoeuvering, he reached the 
camp site of the night before. Here he 
found both blanket packs gone and a crude 
message scratched into the black smut on 
the flat rock! 

‘‘On to road camp. Come. Dick.” 

To his great joy he found Spot’s fresh 
tracks. Quickly scratching his name below 
Dick’s, in case Jerry was still behind, he 
made off to join his comrades. The sun was 
well along on its afternoon journey when 
Jim arrived. No one was in sight, although 
he felt he was not alone. He stood peering 
about for perhaps five minutes when he 
heard the cautious voice of Dick coming 
from a thicket of brush. 

“You alone, Jim.^ No one following 
you ?” 

“Yes, I’m alone. Where’s Jerry ? Where’s 
Spot?” 

“Spot’s here. Got him hidden. Where’s 
Jerry.?” 


126 


Chief Brave Heart 


“Don’t know. Haven’t seen him.” 

Between anxious glances up the trail for 
some sight of Jerry, Jim related his story in 
detail. Then both boys decided to hasten 
back to see if they could find any trace of 
their brave companion, when they were 
forced to cover by a cracking of brush as 
someone approached. 

“It’s Jerry!” cried Dick and Jim in one 
breath as they abandoned all caution and 
sprang forward to welcome the hero. 

Jerry was a sight to behold! His precious 
hat was gone. Large patches of dried blood 
streaked his face and shirt, for his nose had 
bled violently after his fall from the window 
of the house. His legs were a bit shaky but 
his face was wreathed in smiles as he 
greeted his friends. 

“Spot all right?” were his first words as 
he sank heavily to the ground. “Tell me 
how you did it.” 

“You mean, tell us how you did it,” ex- 
claimed the happy boys. 

“I guess I won’t just now — I’m — I’m — 
kinder tired,” poor Jerry broke down for the 
moment exhausted, while Dick and Jim, 


Jerry Sands Series 


127 


thoroughly alarmed, made a bed of the 
blankets and placed him upon them to rest. 

“He’s had a terrible time, I’ll bet,” said 
Jim. “Maybe Old Sloan’s still after us — 
better keep a good watch.” 

Jerry smiled weakly in spite of his throb- 
bing head. 

“No danger. We could — we could — 
smell — ” and then he sank off into a fitful 
sleep, while Dick bathed his head with cool 
water brought by capfuls from the stream. 
At length his breathing became more even. 

“He will soon be himself again,” said 
Dick fanning the flies and wood gnats from 
the sleeper’s face. 

Once more the sun was fading in the west, 
painting the early Fall skies a beautiful 
silvery scarlet. The cool evening breezes 
were swaying the hemlocks and cedars when 
Jerry opened wide his eyes and inquired 
where he was. Gradually he became re- 
freshed and after repeated urging, entered 
into his story. 

“I must have fainted after I propped the 
door, for I knew nothing until I was finally 
aroused by Old Sloan pounding away with- 
in. It’s a good thing I came to when I did, 



EACH TAKING HIS TURN AT LEADING AND RIDING SPOT 



Jerry Sands Series 


129 


for the door was open nearly two inches. 
A little more and he would have been free. 
I think, though, what really brought me 
to was the animals inside the house.” 

“Animals!” exclaimed Jim and Dick. 

Jerry broke into a broad grin and con- 
tinued : 

“Anyhow I slammed the door shut again 
mighty quick and did a good job of prop- 
ping this time. Nothing happened on the 
way here. I read your note on the stone 
and rubbed it off. I got awful tired coming 
here and had a terrible headache.” 

“But are you sure Old Sloan isn’t follow- 
ing you ?” insisted Dick. 

Again Jerry laughed. 

“We certainly would smell him in plenty 
of time if he was, for the animals in the old 
house were skunks!” 

Both boys rolled on the ground com- 
pletely doubled up with laughter as they 
pictured the savage Tom Sloan locked in 
the log house with a family of skunks. Jerry 
felt so much better that he finally threatened 
to drag them both down to the creek and 
duck them if they didn’t quiet down and 
get ready for the journey to the Homestead. 


130 


Chief Brave Heart 


The trip home was made in a slow, lei- 
surely manner, each one taking his turn at 
leading and riding Spot. 

Needless to say the greeting they received 
upon reaching home was as tender and joy- 
ous as their adventure had been strenuous. 
They found Mr. and Mrs. Norman as well 
as the Steward family all together at Jerry’s 
new home, where a searching party was 
being organized. 

Time after time they repeated their sto- 
ries to the eager group. Dick insisted to the 
last that his part had been too easy to men- 
tion and joined Jim in enthusiastic praise 
of Jerry’s work. 

Jerry never remembered when he had 
been so happy before. Tired and worn out 
as he was, he insisted on examining as much 
of his new home as he could, expressing to 
everyone how wonderful it all was to think 
of actually living in the woods forever. And 
though the effects of their first wild adven- 
ture were still fresh upon them, the young 
woodsmen began laying plans for the future! 
Plans in which Indian Dan, bows and 
arrows. Old Burntsides — yes, even Tom 
Sloan, the cousins and all — figured. 


Jerry Sands Series 


131 


At last the time for parting came. The 
boys had known each other scarcely three 
days, yet there was a comradeship between 
them that only the true and faithful can 
know. After affectionate good-byes had 
been said, Jim stepped forward. 

“The Thinking One and The Great Hun- 
ter are no longer chiefs,” he said, looking 
very solemn and grave. “They welcome 
their great chief. Brave Heart. From now 
on he will lead the tribe!” 

And so it was that Jerry came to be the 
first leader of the Woodside Tribe of Indian 
Braves. 


THE END 



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